Put an area of active flow under observation for several minutes. An older culture may have formed sporangia. The sporangium in Physarum is often a rather amorphous structure, but in other genera it has a very delicate, complex, and characteristic shape. Observe the sporangium of one of the other genera, such as Stemonitis or Arcyria. These are considered by some to be the most primitive of the true fungi but are much more similar to some of the algae in appearance and reproduction than are any of the other fungi.
Most species are aquatic, though several are terrestrial.
Divisions grouped here include both saprophytes and parasites. You will look at a few representatives. If available, observe the culture noting the bright orange color of some of the areas of the plate. Make a water mount of some scrapings in one of these areas, and observe under the microscope. Originally these structures are single haploid cells which divide internally to form gametes.