Alien lifeforms on shiitake log!!

[Steve Wurzel]

This started as some white sludge that looked to me possibly as slug eggs on my cling filmed shiitake log.

I put my finger in the white stuff and had the consistency of yoghurt. I figured this was just sap moisture escaping from the log, but then the next day it turned brown, then gained a silvery sheen, then started spurting cocoa powder like spores!!

A few days later it vanished.. which blew my theory that it was King Alfred's Cakes forming

I have no idea where to start with this one.. except to say the balls were 30mm approx.



Over to the wise ones

[CapAndBracket]

Sounds like a myxomycete, from size and silvery sheen it
is an Enteridium.sp most likely E.lycoperdon.

Cheers J.P.

[Steve Wurzel]

I was just popping back to suggest Enteridium lycoperdon as a possible.. silver funghi!!.. new to me

I wonder if it's taken over from the shiitake?

Thanks J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

I doubt your shitake even noticed them, they seem to be able to crawl
over or through just about anything, absorbing bacteria and nutrients, then
surface when something prompts them to fruit.

I congratulate you on growing some, i have moist chambers of leaves,
bark samples, spores on tissue (with food) and spores in water to emerge
so i can maybe photo the flagelate stage, so far success Nil.

Physarum polycephalum seems to be the species of choice by researchers,
and i could buy some but somehow i would rather have my own success
(somehow), maybe i should try eletric shock on them, this may sound
amusing but is used a lot in biological studies, it works but i don't think
anyone knows why for sure.

Cheers J.P.

[Steve Wurzel]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Physarum polycephalum seems to be the species of choice by researchers,
and i could buy some but somehow i would rather have my own success
(somehow), maybe i should try eletric shock on them, this may sound
amusing but is used a lot in biological studies, it works but i don't think
anyone knows why for sure.

Oddly, in a strange case of synchronicity, the reason Physarum polycephalum responds to electric shock could be because it is intelligent I kid you not, I've just read it from the Beeb..

When slime is not so thick

Scientists have discovered that a single-celled organism can negotiate the shortest way through a maze.

(snip)

Toshiyuki Nakagaki of the Bio-Mimetic Control Research Centre, Nagoya, Japan, placed pieces of the Slime Mould Physarum polycephalum in an agar gel maze comprising four possible routes.

see more here... BBC News | SCI/TECH | When slime is not so thick

Just for info Enteridium lycoperdon is eaten in Mexico
under the charming name of "caca de luna" literally Moon Excrement!!!

Young sporophores of one genera (Enteridium lycoperdon) are fried and eaten in Mexico, and the dish is called caca de luna

(which is not proof positive that the mold is not toxic BTW)


Also check out this link for the Alien connection

Jelly from Space?

Many microbiologists will be vaguely aware of occasional media reports about the gelatinous material, sometimes called star jelly or Powdre Ser, which is said to arrive on Earth during meteorite showers. Few will know the reality behind these stories. Some may have been berated, as I have, by the taunts of true believers, who insist that orthodox science is fecklessly ignoring evidence of fungal arrivals from space.

(snip)

Elsewhere, other myxomycetes have attracted human curiosity because of their seemingly extraterrestrial origin. Locals in the State of Veracruz in Mexico refer to two of them, Enteridium lycoperdon (Bull.) Farr and E. septica, as “caca de luna” (moon’s excrement). However, this epithet does not deter them from frying and eating the myxomycetes’ immature fruiting bodies.

Microbe Magazine

As you probably know, slime molds are not officially funghi, but close enough to end up here

[fairplay]

Some years ago on a foray, a Stinkhorn egg landed on my head, no one owned up to having thrown it, so I think that proves these things do come from outer space thus ridiculing the idea that things will burn up on entering our atmosphere, coz if that were true I would have had a fried egg on my head.

Neil.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by Steve Wurzel

Oddly, in a strange case of synchronicity, the reason Physarum polycephalum responds to electric shock could be because it is intelligent I kid you not, I've just read it from the Beeb..



Just for info Enteridium lycoperdon is eaten in Mexico
under the charming name of "caca de luna" literally Moon Excrement!!!



(which is not proof positive that the mold is not toxic BTW)


Also check out this link for the Alien connection


As you probably know, slime molds are not officially funghi, but close enough to end up here

I believe experiments have been carried out where food is placed at one
exit to a maze and the slime moulds seem to be able to solve the problem
of crossing the maze.

Just imagine a fuligo omlette (i won't be trying one).

It is curious, the only similarity with fungi for myxomycetes are they
produce spores.

I can see you are quite taken with these and your interesting wood pile
could produce many more species, let us know if you have success with
the shitake.

Cheers J.P.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Some years ago on a foray, a Stinkhorn egg landed on my head, no one owned up to having thrown it, so I think that proves these things do come from outer space thus ridiculing the idea that things will burn up on entering our atmosphere, coz if that were true I would have had a fried egg on my head.

Neil.

Well you given some perfectly sound reasoning to support your theory and
may well be correct. Not wishing to cast any doubt upon your theory but
feel as scientist we should explore alternative theories.

It crossed my mind that maybe your witches egg could have rolled of a
passing magic carpet, have you noticed how many of these turn up
abandoned in SSSI car parks often accompanied by a fridge.
(just a thought).

Cheers J.P.

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

It crossed my mind that maybe your witches egg could have rolled of a
passing magic carpet, have you noticed how many of these turn up
abandoned in SSSI car parks often accompanied by a fridge.
(just a thought).

Cheers J.P.

Thats where I left it

Mal

[mykonik]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Some years ago on a foray, a Stinkhorn egg landed on my head, no one owned up to having thrown it, so I think that proves these things do come from outer space thus ridiculing the idea that things will burn up on entering our atmosphere, coz if that were true I would have had a fried egg on my head.

Neil.

You might be interested to know Neil, that in 1847 Charles Badham (a mycologist of sorts) stated that he had personally seen Geastrums (earth stars) 'aspiring occasionally to leave this earth' and 'had been found suspended between it and the stars, on the highest pinnacle of St. Paul's Cathedral' - so maybe your flying stinkhorn egg was of a similar disposition and had become dislodged

It is also interesting to note that William Withering (a very famous mycologist) DID actually find his first Geastrum on the top of St. Paul's Cathedral !!

I guess that flying stinkhorn eggs might be a nuisance but if they take off when mature could be classed as downright dangerous !!!


Nick

[fairplay]

And they all thought I was mad !!

There's no egg on my face (the stinkhorn egg bounced off)

Neil.

[Steve Wurzel]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Just imagine a fuligo omlette (i won't be trying one).

I can see you are quite taken with these and your interesting wood pile could produce many more species, let us know if you have success with the shitake.

I would try it, the Mexicans eat that too , I'm not easily put off by looks (just the thought of being poisoned!! )

The plasmodium of Fuligo septica is transparent, like an egg white. In fact the plasmodium is gathered and eaten in Mexico! Usually the plasmodium comes out at night and is collected by moonlight in jars. The plasmodia are brought home, where they are mixed and eaten like scrambled eggs!! If you've been reading my web pages, you know that corn smut is another unusual fungus that's also eaten in Mexico.
Fuligo septica, the dog vomit slime mold, Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for June 1999

mmmm... fried plasmodium, it doesn't say what it's mixed with!!

I would have liked to have given the "caca de luna" a taste now I know it probably won't kill me, I guess it's the white yoghurty stage of development is that is fried and eaten by Mexicans.

I've had about 4 shiitake off the log, in about a 2 year period, so not a great producer.. but I've got orange slime, black mold, white mold and a small bracket that looks like a moth, all growing on logs I've smothered in Oyster spores!!

[CapAndBracket]

I just wonder about seperating the slime from whatever it is on , maybe
they find it on large leaved plants and it wipes of easy.

Cheers J.P.