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ABSTRACT
Moist chamber cultures of bovine dung yielded fructifications of a new species of Didymium, distinguished from other taxa of Didymium by: 1) annulate spores germinating by separation along an equatorial ring into two equal or unequal portions; and 2) abundant capillitial threads frequently bearing white crystalline bodies trapped within the threads or calcareous nodes connected by two or three threads. Spore ornamentation of D. annulisporum was compared with that of D. nullifilum and D. saturnus using scanning electron microscopy. Spore-to-spore cultivation of D. annulisporum was completed on unsterilized and sterilized bovine dung, half-strength corn meal agar, dung extract agar, and plain agar. The effect of substratum on taxonomic characters was evaluated after fructifications developed on natural substrata and agar media under laboratory conditions. Life cycle events are described for the spore germination process, spore viability, swarm cells, myxamoebae, microcysts, plasmodial development, sporulation, and peridial calcification. The life cycle is completed within six days. Light is not a requirement for the non-pigmented phaneroplasmodium to sporulate.
