THE LABORATORY CULTIVATION OF PHYSARUM FLAVICOMUM

Gray , William D. (Ohio State U., Columbus.) The laboratory cultivation of Physarum flavicomum. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(3): 242–243. 1961.—The laboratory cultivation of P. flavicomum on artificial medium is reported here for the first time. The plasmodium of this species can be easily cultivated on dry rolled oats in a moist chamber in the same manner as plasmodia of P. polycephalum, or on 3% rolled-oats agar. Plasmodia form sclerotia from which new cultures can later be started or they can be obtained by sowing spores on rolled oats agar. Like P. polycephalum, the plasmodia of P. flavicomum must be illuminated with visible light in order to induce the onset of the sporulating stage. Sporangia which develop in culture vary most noticeably with respect to the type of peridium. The nature of the peridium is largely determined by whether the sporangium develops under moist or dry conditions; dry conditions favor the formation of a lime-encrusted peridium, while humid conditions favor the development of a thin, limeless peridium which has a metallic luster.