Tiny yellow blob fungi

black · #1 (**permalink**) 05-07-2007, 03:04 PM

Apologies for the photo quality, the weather + light were atrocious. Photographed in a small pine copse near the village of Milfield, Northumbria last week. This collection of yellow blobs was on a tree trunk whereas other were attached to pine needles and grass stems. Anyone know if it a fungi or slime mould?

Deer Stalker · #2 (**permalink**) 05-07-2007, 03:31 PM

I would say its a Slime Mould. Can't say which one for sure.

mike anderson · #3 (**permalink**) 05-07-2007, 10:20 PM

Definately a Slime Mold. I learnt a lot about these - including the wonderful 'Dog Vomit' slime mold from Tom Volk: Fuligo septica, the dog vomit slime mold, Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for June 1999.
Tom explains the difference between a mold and a fungus.

black · #4 (**permalink**) 06-07-2007, 11:28 AM

Cheers Mike, with such a delightful name Dog Vomit I'll have to check it out

NickCantle · #5 (**permalink**) 06-07-2007, 08:02 PM

Looks like 'Nectria Peziza'. Usually round on rotting polypores and rotten wood.

Nick

jordanno · #6 (**permalink**) 07-07-2007, 04:02 PM

i know wat it is im sure of it its in my fungi book its not a slime mould its bisporella citrina

black · #7 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 09:37 AM

Thanks Nick and Jordanno I found a few images of the fungi you suggested and it certainly looks similar to the one I saw.

NickCantle · #8 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 12:42 PM

No worries

Glad we could have been of assistance

AlanS · #9 (**permalink**) 15-07-2007, 09:14 PM

Yes, as Deer Stalker and Mike Anderson have already posted, this is a slime mould, in its immature fruiting stage. The cytoplasmic connections between the "blobs" are still visible.

It is not a Nectria, as the individual fruiting bodies would each be set into the rotting wood, not in a disorganised pile like this. Also, Nectria is a "flask fungus", with a tiny opening for spore release at the top of each fruitbody.

As for Bisporella citrina, this is a cup fungus that indeed can be very conspicuous on fallen wood, usually on beech but sometimes on other deciduous trees. However, the individual fruitbodies are tiny discs, i.e. flat or slightly concave on top, and again each is individually attached to the wood. To be blunt, if a fungus book has a picture of B. citrina that looks like Black's photograph, then I suggest throwing the book away!

Alan