A study of the Myxomycetes of Texas.

Of 313 species of Myxomycetes (slime molds) reported by Martin (1949) and 285 species reported by Hagelstein (1944), only one species, Comatricha irregularis Rex, was recorded from Texas when this work was begun in February, 1964. Since that time Dr. C.J. Alexopoulos (Nov., 1965) reported 77 species which he and his graduate students have collected in the state since 1962 but presented very little morphological and distributional data on the 111 specimens which he cited. Species reported by Alexopoulos are marked with an (*) in the text. The present work extends the number of known species of Myxomycetes in Texas, provides distributional data for the species collected, gives a morphological description of species found within Texas, provides a key for students who may be interested in working with Myxomycetes within this or neighboring states, and incorporates color photographs and drawings which may be beneficial in their classification and identification.