Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Livifisherman on August 25, 2009, 18:15

Title: Weird Fungus?
Post by: Livifisherman on August 25, 2009, 18:15

My son in law sent the attached Photograph for identification.  He said it looks like fungus of some sort (scrambled egg to me), seems to be growing in random patches in a garden.

I have never seen anything like it - any ideas?

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: sunshineband on August 25, 2009, 18:34

This looks like the plamodial form of Dog's Vomit Slime Mould (really!!) which can be white or yellow. Here is a pic of a yellow one:

http://www.uknature.co.uk/F.septica-info.html

Here are lots more photos. Strange thing to be interested in but they really are fascinating organisms  :blink:

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/slime1.htm

Enjoy!!

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: Livifisherman on August 25, 2009, 19:00

Wow! That was a quick response. 

Thanks. :)

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: sunshineband on August 25, 2009, 19:03

It's something you either recognise or not I guess... your SIL was lucky to see it  :D

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: poultrygeist on August 25, 2009, 19:15

wow  :ohmy:  :)

Thanks sunshineband. :D

I think I used to have some of that as a line manager once.

Rob 8)

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: sunshineband on August 25, 2009, 19:27

Careful Rob -- it grows so fast you can actually see it moving  :lol: :lol:

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: poultrygeist on August 25, 2009, 19:33

I'll have to have a look on some of the trees next door. At a safe distance of course  :unsure:

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: sunshineband on August 25, 2009, 19:35

Check out the second link, as there are all sorts of possible sites  :lol: :lol:

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: poultrygeist on August 25, 2009, 20:00

I hope I can see some one day. fascinating. :)

I didn't do chemistry or biology at school (or after) but would have loved studying somethign like that. :)

Rob 8)

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: Salmo on August 26, 2009, 08:15

Amazing!!

Is it edible?

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: sunshineband on August 26, 2009, 09:17

Quote from: Salmo on August 26, 2009, 08:15

Amazing!!

Is it edible?

Not that I know of. It would be hard to know where to start as they have so little structure. Plasmodial slime moulds are like one huge cell filled with cytoplasm and masses of nuclei, and the organism just carries on getting bigger and bigger all the time conditions are favourable. This is why it can grow so fast as it doesn't need to divide whole cells, just nuclei. If it seems conditions are going to dry out, they produce sporangia, ususally on tiny stalky bits, and then these can persist for a short while. They then start again.

They are not fungi, but a class of their own -- in more ways than one!!
 :lol: :lol:

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: goodegg on August 28, 2009, 20:44

the fourth one look like waht somebody had on there plant about a week ago i think it was on cabbage but i could be wrong

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: hamstergbert on August 29, 2009, 13:53

 check this out  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhyRpvgm03g) to see what happens if you are too blase about this stuff!

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: Terrier on August 29, 2009, 23:36

Some sort of new fangled rooting gel, huh! The choice comment at the end "starring Steve Mcqueen and a cast of young exciting people" they show people running OUT of a cinema and they expect a comment like that to get them to go back in! How times change  ::)

Title: Re: Weird Fungus?
Post by: Paul Plots on August 30, 2009, 00:16

I'm sticking to my marsh mallow puff balls..... they tend only to move if you make them!