In this taxonomic study, myxomycetes of Tayfur Sökmen Campus (Hatay) were collected during 2010-2011. As a result of field and laboratory studies we reported 44 species of protosteliomycetes and myxomycetes. Three of these species (Diderma deplanatum Fr., Didymium megalosporum Berk & , and Lamproderma atrosporum Meyl.) are recorded for the first time from Turkey. | Research Article Turk J Bot 36 (2012) 769-777 © TÜBİTAK doi: Myxomycetes of Mustafa Kemal University campus and environs (Turkey) Hayri BABA* Biology Department, Faculty of Science and Arts, Mustafa Kemal University, Alahan-31000, Antakya, Hatay - TURKEY Received: ● Accepted: Abstract: In this taxonomic study, myxomycetes of Tayfur Sökmen Campus (Hatay) were collected during 2010-2011. As a result of field and laboratory studies we reported 44 species of protosteliomycetes and myxomycetes. Three of these species (Diderma deplanatum Fr., Didymium megalosporum Berk & , and Lamproderma atrosporum Meyl.) are recorded for the first time from Turkey. Lamproderma atrosporum was treated with the moist chamber cultures method in the laboratory but Didymium megalosporum and Diderma deplanatum were determined naturally. The distribution, habitat, and collection numbers of the identified species are given. Key words: Hatay, fungal diversity, new records, myxomycetes, Turkey Introduction Myxomycetes (acellular, non-cellular, plasmodial, or true slime moulds) are characterised by an amorphous, multinucleate, protoplasmic mass called the plasmodium as well as fruiting bodies (1-200 mm) with internally borne spores (5-20 µm). They have been known for more than 350 years based on Pankow’s figure and description of Lycogala epidendrum (L.) Fr. (Martin & Alexopoulos, 1969). Myxomycetes have been classified in the kingdom Plantae (class Myxomycota) and the kingdom Animalia (class Mycetozoa). Because myxomycetes are typically found in the same habitats as fungi, they were treated as taxa within the kingdom Fungi (class Myxomycetes). Unlike fungi, myxomycetes do not excrete extracellular, digestive enzymes, and the role of myxomycetes in the environment is not as decomposers or pathogens (Keller & Braun, 1999). Bauldauf and Doolittle (1997) conducted a phylogenetic analysis of highly conserved, elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α)
