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Wolf's milk or Groening's slime (slime mold)

Lycogala epidendrum

Description:

During the plasmodial stage, individuals are reddish in colour, but these are almost never seen. When conditions change, the individuals aggregate by means of chemical signaling to form an aethalium, or fruiting body. These appear as small cushion-like blobs measuring about 3–15 millimetres (0.12–0.59 in) in diameter. Colour is quite variable, ranging from pinkish-grey to yellowish-brown or greenish-black, with mature individuals tending towards the darker end. They may be either round or somewhat compressed with a warted or rough texture. While immature they are filled with a pink, paste-like fluid. With maturity the fluid becomes a powdery mass of minute gray spores. The spores measure 6 to 7.5 µm and are round in shape with a netted texture and appearing ochre to lavender in colour. The pseudocapillitia, sterile elements in the spore mass, are long, flattened, branching tubes with transverse wrinkles and folds

Habitat:

Lycogala epidendrum, commonly known as wolf's milk, groening's slime is a cosmopolitan species of plasmodial slime mould which is often mistaken for a fungus. The aethalia, or fruiting bodies, occur either scattered or in groups on damp rotten wood, especially on large logs, from June to November. These aethalia are small, pink to brown cushion-like globs. They may excrete a pink paste if the outer wall is broken before maturity. When mature, the colour tends to become more brownish. When not fruiting, single celled individuals move about as very small, red amoeba-like organisms called plasmodia, masses of protoplasm that engulf bacteria, fungal and plant spores, protozoa, and particles of non-living organic matter through phagocytosis (see slime mould for more information).

Notes:

spotted in my backyard in a tree cut log that we put there to see if fungis show up,well this one is beautiful and breaf it dure for a couple of days

1 Species ID Suggestions

lori.tas
lori.tas 11 years ago
Wolf's milk or Groening's slime (slime mold)
Lycogala epidendrum Lycogala epidendrum


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8 Comments

you guy's are awesome :) thanks so much for your super kind words :)
Emma,Loritas and Sérgio :)

Sergio Monteiro
Sergio Monteiro 11 years ago

Great series, xará. Certainly deserves SOTD.

lori.tas
lori.tas 11 years ago

You are welcome, António. Slime molds are fascinating. Great photos.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

SOTD!!

Thanks very much Lori
Thanks Emma, i thougth that was a drop of water :)

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

Wow, lori has a great Id for you! Slime Mold!! Right behind on the heap is a transparent blob.

Thanks,i dont know the species you talk,maybee :) cool name "dead Man's Fingers" :)

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

very interesting ! Any possibility these could be immature "dead Man's Fingers?"

Braga, Portugal

Spotted on Aug 11, 2012
Submitted on Sep 8, 2012

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