Chocolate tube slime

Description:

The sporangia are dark purplish brown, smooth, dry, 10 to 20 mm tall, and 1 to 2 mm in diameter. The stem is black, 3 to5 mm long, and less than 1 mm thick. Like other slime molds, Stemonitis species creep around for a while, consuming nutrients and looking for a good place to make babies. In this stage, known as the plasmodium, species of Stemonitis look like tightly packed masses of slimy white frog eggs, or little piles of soggy, decaying, white rice. Eventually, however, the Stemonitis stops creeping and transforms itself into a stationary spore factory a sporangium that sits on top of a tiny stem.

Habitat:

Specimens grow in small, compact clusters on sheltered, decaying wood.

Notes:

Spotted on a fallen tree in a forest garden De Hooge Heide, Veluwe, Holland. (sources:see reference)