Cribraria intricata
Schrad
Description:
SPORANGIA: gregarious, total height 1.5 to 3 mm. often forming large colonies, stalked, globose, nodding or erect, 0.5 to 0.7 mm. diam., ochraceous brown;

PERIDIUM: peridial cup to one third the height of the sporangium, yellowish brown, studded with brown plasmodic granules 0.5-2 µm. diam., arranged in close lines radiating from the base of the sporangium; margin toothed; net close, regular; nodes numerous, dark brown, thickened, prominent, polygonal, often branching, connected by five to eight very slender threads, and with many free rays.

STALK: subulate, two to four times the height of the sporangium, dark brown.

SPORES: Ochraceous, nearly smooth or faintly warted, 5-6 µm diam.

PLASMODIUM: Lead-coloured or brownish black.
HABITAT: On dead wood.

DISTRIBUTION: Cosmopolitan, known from Auckland, Taranaki and Southland.
Macro images:
Cribraria intricata
Scale bar
Scale= 0.57 mm.
 
Cribraria intricata
Scale bar
Scale= 1 mm.
 
Cribraria intricata
Scale bar
Scale= 1 mm.
Most of the spores have dispersed leaving only the peridium net.
 
Micro images:
Cribraria intricata
Scale bar
Magnification = 400x
Close up of the peridium net.
Cribraria intricata
Scale bar
Magnification = 1000x
Close up of the nodes of the peridium net.
Cribraria intricata
Scale bar
Magnification = 1000x
Spores: 5-6 µm in diameter. 
 
 
Hidden Forest
Slime Moulds