echinostelium echinostelium echinostelium is a genus of slime mould, and the only genus in the monotypic family echinosteliaceae, or echinosteliidae. it was discovered by heinrich anton de bary in 1855, apparently near frankfurt am main. some species of echinostelium have a sexual life cycle; others have been shown to be asexual. the plasmodium can divide vegetatively, in a process called plasmotomy, to distinguish it from true cell division. echinostelium echinostelium minutum scientific classification domain: eukaryota phylum: amoebozoa class: myxogastria order: echinosteliales family: echinosteliaceae genus: echinosteliumde bary, 1855 type species echinostelium minutumde bary, 1855 species the genus echinostelium comprises at least five species: echinostelium apitectum k. d. whitney, 1980 echinostelium colliculosum k. d. whitney & h. w. keller, 1980 echinostelium corynophorum k. d. whitney, 1980 echinostelium fragile nannenga-bremekamp, 1961 echinostelium minutum de bary in rostafinsky, 1874