Lichen, Fungi, moss and slime molds

[marlunn]

Randys thread reminded me of these, the first has three out of the four, Lichen, Fungi and moss, then the slime molds, two different ones in sporing mode, they are fascinating as they are not really fungi and not plants but seperated out from the animal kingdom on their own as part of the fungi 'clans' but they are mobile and actively 'hunt' for food. They are a colony that spreads out, it looks like a leaf skeleton to hunt - then consume what they find, when there is no food they pull back into clumps and the 'fruiting' bodies form from all the live cells in the colony - these then dry and burst open to spread the spores for the next generation. Scientists have provne that they actively hunt and i think I recall a article where they were trained to hunt a specific chemical signature.

Horsehair fungi growing on Pine needles


Slime mold 1


Slime mold 2

[RandyRFJP]

[QUOTE=marlunn;671092]Randys thread reminded me of these, the first has three out of the four, Lichen, Fungi and moss, then the slime molds, two different ones in sporing mode, they are fascinating as they are not really fungi and not plants but seperated out from the animal kingdom on their own as part of the fungi 'clans' but they are mobile and actively 'hunt' for food. They are a colony that spreads out, it looks like a leaf skeleton to hunt - then consume what they find, when there is no food they pull back into clumps and the 'fruiting' bodies form from all the live cells in the colony - these then dry and burst open to spread the spores for the next generation. Scientists have provne that they actively hunt and i think I recall a article where they were trained to hunt a specific chemical signature.

Thanks for posting these first-rate photos Mark, as well as for the inclusion of the information about slime molds.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[purplehaze]

Thank you, Mark. You and Randy are adding to my education; I had never heard of slime molds before yesterday. I just read a fascinating article about them on the Scientific American site. I am sure they abound in the woods around the cottage; I will be sure to look for them when I am next there.

[marlunn]

Cheers Randy,
Thanks John,

Thanks for the link Janis, they really are fascinating aren't they

[JohnRostron]

I have yet to find slime moulds in the fruiting stage. All those I have photographed have looked like lumps of slime! One even has the vernacular name of 'Dog's Vomit'. I will see if I can post some of my pics.

John

[Wavelength]

Excellent images

[IzzieK]

Very...very nice...I wish I can find them here expecially the one with the orange balloon.

[bje07]

The small world is spectacular. Nice shots.