The dictyostelids or cellular slime molds are a group of slime molds or social amoebae.
Dictyostelid
A petri dish of Dictyostelium.
Slime mold or slime mould is an informal name given to a polyphyletic assemblage of unrelated eukaryotic organisms in the Stramenopiles, Rhizaria, Discoba, Amoebozoa and Holomycota clades. Most are microscopic; those in the Myxogastria form larger plasmodial slime molds visible to the naked eye. The slime mold life cycle includes a free-living single-celled stage and the formation of spores. Spores are often produced in macroscopic multicellular or multinucleate fruiting bodies that may be formed through aggregation or fusion; aggregation is driven by chemical signals called acrasins. Slime molds contribute to the decomposition of dead vegetation; some are parasitic.
Comatricha nigra (myxogastria) with developing fruiting bodies (sporangia)
Lycogala epidendrum was the first slime mold to be discussed scientifically, by Thomas Panckow in 1654.
Stemonitis shows stalked sporangia for airborne spore dispersal.
Diachea leucopodia