Is coral spot a fungus or slime mould?

animartco · #1 (**permalink**) 04-01-2010, 11:22 AM

Of Coral spot 'fungus' Is it a fungus? Is there perhaps an almost identical slime mould? Can anyone tell me whether coral spot fungus has been proved to be attached permanently to the places where it is found? On my gate there are many normal looking coral spots, but there is an area where the lichen covering the gate appears to have been 'grazed', and on this area there are many smaller slug shaped coral spots. On a fallen barkless branch on shaded ground nearby there is a larger mass of paler wetter, but similar 'fungus', which of course may not be related.

diggleken · #2 (**permalink**) 04-01-2010, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animartco

Of Coral spot 'fungus' Is it a fungus? Is there perhaps an almost identical slime mould? Can anyone tell me whether coral spot fungus has been proved to be attached permanently to the places where it is found? On my gate there are many normal looking coral spots, but there is an area where the lichen covering the gate appears to have been 'grazed', and on this area there are many smaller slug shaped coral spots. On a fallen barkless branch on shaded ground nearby there is a larger mass of paler wetter, but similar 'fungus', which of course may not be related.

Well, in the absence of an expert (have the fungi people gone into hibernation?) I'll start.
Coral spot, Nectria cinnabarina looks like this, in both its stages, so hopefully, thats what you have.....................

Its classed as an ascomycete, not a myxomycete, which are regarded as the slime moulds. So yes its a true fungus.
Without a pic and a full description, its tough to tell what you have, possibly one of the hypoxylon spp if they arent round.
Coral spot doesnt move as far as I am aware, nor should it,but it can be easily brushed off and stains if you do so - but note, it is one of the first rotters of newly cut wood to obviously appear and does so quite quickly, so knocked off conidia might be replaced and appear to have moved???