Octomyxa

Octomyxa was a problem for those of us who tried to karyotype plasmodiophorids. The late Charles E. Miller, several students, and J. P. Braselton collected soil samples from the original site ( Timrod Park, Florence, SC ) where W. R. Pendergrass collected soil samples for his studies (references below), and Bill also sent us soil samples he collected. But we were not able to find Octomyxa on any hosts from soil samples baited with hemp seeds in Emerson's water. Charlie found Octomyxa from soils on the Texas A & M campus when he was on the faculty at Texas A & M early in his career, so we know that Octomyxa is out there somewhere.

References for Octomyxa

• Pendergrass, W. R.1948. A new member of the Plasmodiophoraceae. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 64: 132-135.
• Pendergrass, W. R. 1950. Studies on a plasmodiophoraceous parasite, Octomyxa brevilegniae . Mycologia 42: 279-289.