Comatricha alta
Preuss
Description:
SPORANGIA: In groups, 3-6(-8) mm total height, ovoid or short cylindrical, rarely almost spherical, rounded at the apex and base, dark brown.

HYPOTHALLUS: discoid or confluent, red-brown.

STALK: usually c. 75% of the total height, black and usually opaque except for the base.

COLUMELLA: almost or completely reaching the apex of the sporotheca, blunt tipped.

CAPILLITIUM: abundant, brown, connected predominantly at the base of the columella, the threads branched and forming wavy loops, hardly anastamosed, with some free, swollen ends, mainly at the base, the upper part of the capillitium falling away from the columella at maturity and extending as a plume which often attaches to the adjacent sporocarps to give a cob-web appearance.
SPORES: Lilac-brown, verruculose, 7.5-9 µm diam., with a small, rounded, pale germination pore.

PLASMODIUM: Translucent white.
HABITAT: Decaying wood and bark

DISTRIBUTION:
Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Dunedin
Macro images:
Comatricha alta
Scale bar
Scale= 1.3 mm.
 
Comatricha alta
Scale bar
Scale= 1.3 mm.
Micro images
Comatricha alta
Scale bar
Magnification= 400x
 
Comatricha alta
Scale bar
Magnification= 400x
 
Hidden Forest
Slime Moulds