A taxon comprising all or most of the plasmodial slime moulds. Now more usually called Myxomycetes.
Myxogastres is treated by some authors as a synonym of Myxomycetes, and by others as a subdivision comprising only endosporous species of the type described by Fries in Systema Mycologicum (1832)..
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Annals of Natural History. From scientific Latin Myxogastres, proposed as suborder name from myxo- + -gastres (taken as plural corresponding to -gaster), the group originally being classified as gasteromycetes.