mini puffballs for id

[kiltoncomp]

found today on pine stump, the largest of these measured abour 12mm across,

the ist pic shows them growing on the top of the stump and the second pic shows them growing on the side ,
the ones on side of the stump were probably mature, for when one of the larger ones was gently squeezed it sent out a cloud of dirty yellow coloured spores,
any suggestions ???





Brian.

[NickCantle]

Not a puffball Brian, but a Myxomycete This is probably a mature example of Lycogala epidendrum. Lycogala terrestre is similar in adolescence, but matures into a more salmon pink colour rather than the grey brown evident in your image.

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Not a puffball Brian, but a Myxomycete This is probably a mature example of Lycogala epidendrum. Lycogala terrestre is similar in adolescence, but matures into a more salmon pink colour rather than the grey brown evident in your image.

Thanks for the info Nick,
i looked in my Phillips book and they are not listed at all, and the only one in Jordans is L.tereste,

found a bit more on the net, and it says its not strictly a fungi , but a slime mould!!, and even this species (L.epidendrum) starts off pink before turning grey! confusing stuff indeed,

well its another new one for me, and it did'nt even make it to my unknows list thanks to your quick id,

[CapAndBracket]

This i'm afraid is another case of two species where the differences are
subtle at best.
Stephenson and Stempen list four Lycogala.sp (which doesn't include
L.terrestre), apparently the 3 different from L.epidendrum, are much rarer,
one has thicker smooth surface, one is conical in shape the other having
a scaley surface.
There is no diffinative jury decision on this as far as i know, but i record as
L.epidendrum (hasn't that name got a lovely ring to it), apparently described
as pink to gray but can be quote (Pinkish grey or yellowish brown to deep
olivaceous or nearly black) un-quote.

Cheers J.P.

[Chris Yeates]

I know I usually weigh in with a Jeremiad about 'you can't do this is the field' but I am sure that Nick is 100% correct with Lycogala epidendrum

Bruce Ing (whom I know well and is a world authority on these critters) lists 6 species in The Myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland and this collection keys out well to epidendrum on macro-characters

Lycogala means wolf's milk

and yes, these are members of the Protozoa and therefore not fungi (nor indeed, plants or animals)

Chris

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

This i'm afraid is another case of two species where the differences are
subtle at best.
Stephenson and Stempen list four Lycogala.sp (which doesn't include
L.terrestre), apparently the 3 different from L.epidendrum, are much rarer,
one has thicker smooth surface, one is conical in shape the other having
a scaley surface.
There is no diffinative jury decision on this as far as i know, but i record as
L.epidendrum (hasn't that name got a lovely ring to it), apparently described
as pink to gray but can be quote (Pinkish grey or yellowish brown to deep
olivaceous or nearly black) un-quote.

Cheers J.P.

judging by photos of these i found after a web search, which show specimens with all those colours , with even the pink ones growing amongst the brown ones !!

Brian.