Possible Enteridium lycoperdon

[Hindpool]

This group of unidentified fungi was spotted on April 1st on the Wey Navigation in Surrey. The host is a fallen alder. A friend tells me he has been informed by an expert that the fungi may be Enteridium lycoperdon.

Positive identification would be welcomed; thank you.

[cybershot]

Enteridium lycoperdon




A slime mould in one of it's earlier stages of development before a smooth silvery crust (Pictured above) forms over the surface:

Enteridium lycoperdon

David

[Hindpool]

Thanks Cybershot for your identification. Here is the group of Enteridium lycoperdon slime mould on April 6 - five days after the "cauliflower" stage shown in my earlier shots (one reposted here for comparison) - a remarkable transformation.

A scientist academic friend tells me that slime moulds are NOT fungi at all but are more closely related to the amoeba. Is this generally known/accepted?

[FungiJohn]

and why not Fuligo septica? whose colour varies from white, yellow, grey to almost a deep red!

I would say it was Fuligo septica.

John

[CapAndBracket]

Your friend is correct, slime moulds (myxomycetes) are not fungi but tend to
be interesting as they spread by spores rather like fungi and the only time
they are like fungi.

There is a group of cellular slime mould but yours like most we see are
plasmodial slime moulds.

The spores germinate and the emergent cell can be amaeboid or a swarm cell
with flaggela (whip like tail for motility).These are interchangable and may
change or revert depending on moisture level. (yes quite amazing), if stressed
(e.g. dry out) they can form microcyst rather like reverting back to a spore
and await better times.

When the going is good amoeba/swarm cells can combine into one cell
becoming double nucleate single cell, and then combine again to become
multinucleate. at this stage if stressed they can form a resilient resting stage
(sclerotia) to await better times.

Eventually millions combine to become a hugely (in number) mulitinucleate
plasmodium, often found as yellow veins on timber, these actually (under
microscope) can be seen to pulsate back and forth approaching nutrients
and transporting them around the plasmodium

Eventually, coditions are right and the plasmodium aggregates into a mass,
as per your initial image, and the mass turns into the fruit body, the internal
nuclei forming spores, the fruit body then dries out and falls apart, the ripe
spores blowing away on the wind to restart the whole process.

http://naturalhistory.uga.edu/~GMNH/...te/myxogal.htm

Try the link for some idea of myxomycete variety and images of plasmodium.

Cheers J.P.

[cybershot]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

and why not Fuligo septica? whose colour varies from white, yellow, grey to almost a deep red!

I would say it was Fuligo septica.

John

I would say from the comparative photos of the same specimens in post #62 above show this to be most typically Enteridium lycoperdon

Further reading to endorse JP's excellent general explanation:

What Are They

where it features as Reticularia lycoperdon

The other Myxomycetes most commonly encountered by fungi hunters include Lycogala terrestre, Tubifera ferruginosa and Mucilago crustacea

David

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by cybershot

I would say from the comparative photos of the same specimens in post #62 above show this to be most typically E. lycoperdon. Enteridium lycoperdon

Further reading to endorse JP's excellent general explanation:

What Are They

where it features as Reticularia lycoperdon

The other Myxomycetes most commonly encountered by fungi hunters include Lycogala terrestre, Tubifera ferruginosa and Mucilago crustacea

David

Yes, I'm familiar with the above site and JP's excellent general explanation but in this plasmodium stage you could not in my view rule out fulgio septica!

John

[cybershot]

I was taking the thin, smooth, silvery cortex enveloping the spore mass to be more typically E. lycoperdon than F. septica - I may well be wrong

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by cybershot

I was taking the thin, smooth, silvery cortex enveloping the spore mass to be more typically E. lycoperdon than F. septica - I may well be wrong

I'm referring to the 1st image David. Unless there were atypical E. lycoperdon in the immediate area I would find it difficult to differentiate the two.

John

[cybershot]

I was conjointly considering both images of the same group in post #62 when reaffirming my suggestion of identification.