SCRAMBLED EGG SLIME
Fuligo septica
PHYSACACEAE (Physacaceae)
Description
Yellowish or white mass, producing a large fluffy, soft, yellowish irregular form, becoming crusty and blackish within. The mass is 1-8 inches long and nearly as wide. The flesh is white to yellow, darkening with age, becoming black, bleeding when bruised (Photo A). It loses its yellow color after about 1 day.
Occurrence
It is seen from May to October on rotten wood, litter or compost at first, migrating to live plant and soil. It is uncommon in various moist habitats in Fontenelle Forest
Comments
Also known as dog vomit slime. It is variable in size, shape and color. With age it appears crusty and cakelike when cut. Occasionally it is attacked by a purplish cup fungus. Although many slime mold species fruit on wood they do not form a penetrating and absorptive mass of hyphae in the wood substrate. Rather, slime molds form structures called
plasmodia which are naked (i.e., without cell walls) masses of
protoplasm which can move and engulf particles of food in an
amoeboid manner. Slime mold plasmodia creep about over the
surfaces of materials, engulfing bacteria, spores of fungi and
plants, protozoa, and particles of nonliving organic matter. At some point, plasmodia convert into spore-bearing structures.Fuligo septica produces the largest spore-producing structure of any known slime mold. The reddish spots seen in some of the images result from breaksown of tissue.
Disclaimer: The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Nature Association who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page
is: Eric Scholar.
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