Angela Ejale

Myxomycetes: from Southern Nigeria Angela Ejale

The Myxomycetes, due to their fungus-like appearance and their general neglect by zoologists have been traditionally studied by Botanists especially the mycologists. They are included among fungi because of the apparent resemblance of the reproductive structures (fructifications) to those of the fungi. However, they resemble animals in their vegetative or assimilative phase known as the plasmodium, a naked mass of protoplasm lacking a cell wall, which crawls along the substratum like a giant amoeba, engulfing solid particles like a phagocyte. This dual nature led to an age-old controversy whether to treat the Myxomycetes as plants or animals. Many European biologists follow de Bary and consider them as protozoa (mycetozoa) whereas those in the United States of America still retain them in fungi. However, Kendrick (Personal Communication, 1988) a notable Canadian mycologist states that Myxomycetes are not plants. Nevertheless, such a controversy has little relevance to current biological concept. It is a well known fact that in the lower scale of life, the obvious distinctions between the more conspicuous plants and animals tend to fade into insignificance.