Trichiales (Order)

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Trichiales is an order of slime moulds in the phylum Amoebozoa. It is also currently categorized under the superorder Lucisporidia or the group with bright-coloured spores The order was first described by Thomas MacBride in 1922, and has retained the same name and status as a defined order in present phylogeny.

In the plasmodium form, members of Trichiales lack a columella but have a well-developed capillitium for spore dispersal. The shape and details of the capillitium are used to define families within the order. Spores are brightly coloured, ranging from clear, white and yellow to pink and red-brown tones. The order currently has 4 families, 14 genera and 174 species.

Trichiales species develop unique elastic, threadlike, ornamented capillitium. The capillitium is absent in Liceales and Cribrariales, while the species in Reticulariales produce pseudocapillitium, i.e., filiform peridium remnants.

Trichiales taxonomy relies on the different features of the capillitium, chiefly the solid or hollow nature of the filaments and their ornamentation, particularly the capillitium spiral ornamentation. The study of the capillitium ultrastructural features in Trichiales with transmission electron microscopy showed five discrete ultrastructural capillitium types and two subtypes. Only one capillitium type consisted of solid or nearly solid filaments, i.e., threads, while the four remaining types presented hollow filaments or tubules

Spore walls in Trichiales, consists of two layers, an outer layer comprising the ornamental elements and an inner layer.

Trichiales (Order) is listed in the following regions:

Canberra & Southern Tablelands | South Coast