Hemitrichia serpula
(Scop.) Rostaf. ex Lister 1894
Description:

SPORANGIA: forming elongate, winding, branched plasmodiocarps, 0.4 to 0.6 mm. wide, usually uniting into a close net, golden yellow or brownish yellow, often seated on a reddish brown hypothallus.

PERIDIUM: of two layers, the outer membranous or cartilaginous, yellow, or brownish yellow from deposits of refuse matter, the inner membranous, delicately marked with a network resembling fan-tracery.

CAPILLITIUM: an elastic tangle of twisted, sparingly branched, yellow or orange threads 5-6 µm diam., marked with three or four, rarely more, regular, sinistral, spiral bands, usually spinose, rarely smooth; longitudinal striae often distinct; free ends pointed.

SPORES: Yellow, reticulate with narrow bands forming a net with from nine to twelve meshes to the hemisphere, 10 - 12 µm diam.; border 0.5 - 1 µm wide.

Plasmodium: Milky white, then yellow.
HABITAT: On dead wood.

DISTRIBUTION: Cosmopolitan, known from Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Taupo, Wellington, Buller, Westland and Southland.
Macro images:
Hemitrichia serpula
Scale bar
Scale= 1 mm.
 
Hemitrichia serpula
Scale bar
Scale= 1 mm.
 
Hemitrichia serpula
Scale bar
Scale= 1 mm.
 
Hemitrichia serpula
Scale bar
Scale= 1 mm.
 
Hemitrichia serpula
Scale bar
Scale= 0.33 mm.
Micro images:
Hemitrichia serpula
Scale bar
Magnification = 400x
 
Hidden Forest
Slime Moulds