Using hands-on natural science projects, explores and explains different types and characteristics of fungi.

Professor Bonner has rewritten more than half of this standard treatise to take account of the great amount of recent research on the cellular slime molds. He has included a larger selection of material, more figures and new plates. The bibliography has been greatly enlarged. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This densely-packed book introduces the fascinating world of myxomycetes, the acellular slime moulds. It describes their intriguing life cycle and important ecological roles as decomposers, nutrient recyclers and food for numerous invertebrates. And it reveals their exquisite evocative forms through microscope and camera, along with time lapse images that capture the dramatic changes in colour and shape as the fruiting bodies mature.The past ten years has seen a burgeoning interest in slime moulds by photographers, students and enthusiasts who are captivated by their singular beauty. This popular and informative book-now in its fourth edition-is an aid to their identification, an illustrated glossary, and an account of a passion for slime moulds that has led to the discovery of a wealth of species inhabiting a tall wet eucalypt forest in central north Tasmania.

Neither plants, nor animals, nor fungi, the myxomycetes are a surprisingly diverse and fascinating group of organisms. They spend the majority of their life out of sight as single-celled amoeboid individuals in leaf litter, soil or decaying wood, foraging for bacteria and other simple life forms. However, when conditions are right, two individual cells come together to give rise to a much larger, creeping structure called a plasmodium, which produces the even more complex and often beautiful fruiting bodies. Indeed, the fruiting bodies of myxomycetes are often miniature works of art! Their small size (usually only a few millimetres tall) and fleeting fruiting phase mean that these organisms, although ubiquitous and sometimes abundant, are overlooked by most people. However, recent research by a few dedicated individuals has shown that Australia has a very diverse myxomycete biota with more than 330 species, the largest number known for any region of the Southern Hemisphere. This comprehensive monograph provides keys, descriptions and information on the known distribution for all of these species in addition to containing introductory material relating to their biology and ecology. Many species are illustrated, showing the diversity of their fruiting bodies, and greatly facilitating their identification. This book will give naturalists a new insight into an often overlooked group of organisms in addition to providing an incentive to search for the many species which have undoubtedly thus far escaped notice.

Explores the appearance, characteristics, and behavior of protists and fungi, lifeforms which are neither plants nor animals, using specific examples such as algae, mold, and mushrooms.

Animal, plant, fungus—just what kind of living thing is a slime mold? How do these slimy blobs move from place to place? And how do slime molds help clean up rotting leaves and other dead stuff in backyards and forests? In this brand-new title, learn the answers to these questions and more—and prepare to get slimed! This new Science Slam! title will introduce readers to the secret, oozy world of slime molds. The book is expertly crafted to meet early elementary and science curriculum standards, as well as introduce children to bizarre and interesting facts. Innovative, grade-appropriate activities and experiments, critical-thinking questions, and fascinating fact boxes will hold readers’ interests with a viselike grip. And, best of all, the activities are gooey and fun!