hypothallus

American  

[hahy-puh-thal-uhs, hip-uh-] / ˌhaɪ pəˈθæl əs, ˌhɪp ə- /

noun

hypothalli plural

1. a layer of hyphae rimming the thallus of certain lichens.

2. a filmlike residue at the base of the sporangia of certain slime molds.

---

Etymology

Origin of hypothallus

From New Latin, dating back to 1850–55; see origin at hypo-, thallus

Example Sentences

A very distinct species; large, fine, showy sporangia in more or less crowded clusters spring from a snow-white, common hypothallus.

From The North American Slime-Moulds A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species by MacBride, Thomas H. (Thomas Huston)

The plasmodium pale yellow, some part of it not infrequently remains as a venulose hypothallus connecting such sporangia as are near together.

From The North American Slime-Moulds A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species by MacBride, Thomas H. (Thomas Huston)

Sporangia sub-globose, crowded or superimposed, irregular sessile; hypothallus none; capillitium of slender tubules, arising from the sporangium base, branched, marked with branching veins in an irregular reticulation, and terminating in free extremities.

From The North American Slime-Moulds A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species by MacBride, Thomas H. (Thomas Huston)

The hypothallus, sometimes entirely wanting, is anon well developed, even continuous, venulose, from stipe to stipe.

From The North American Slime-Moulds A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species by MacBride, Thomas H. (Thomas Huston)

Fries thought the species might represent a less perfectly-developed reticularia, and therefore wrote Reticularia olivacea noting, however, the clustered spores and the lack of hypothallus.

From The North American Slime-Moulds A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species by MacBride, Thomas H. (Thomas Huston)