Additions to the Myxomycota of summer rainfall regions of tropical Australia

Abstract

The myxomycete diversity is poorly known in tropical regions of Australia. We present a list of myxomycetes from the summer rainfall regions of tropical Australia collated from field collections from the wet tropics of Queensland (February 2009) and from the Kimberley regions of Western Australia (February 2006, January 2010, May 2011), together with moist chamber cultures of substrates from the Kimberley region collected in October 2004, September 2005, march 2009, July 2009 and January 2010. Sixty six species and two varieties were named, together with a further 12 that could not be identified with confidence. One species, Licea xanthospora, has been recently described from the Kimberley region, and a further seven species (Ceratiomysa fruticulosa var. arbuscula, Diderma indicum, Macbrideola argentea, Paradiacheopsis longipes, Physarum echinosporum, Reticularia splendens, and Stemonaria longa) are new records for Australia. One species (Physarella oblonga) recorded from Australia in the 19th century but which had been lost, was recollected.