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PLASMODIAL AND CELLULAR SLIME MOLDS - CONTINUED Plasmodial slime molds can produce quite extensive colonies that, in exceptional conditions, can cover up to 1 metre of grass turf or other organic-rich materials such as organic-rich soil. One of the classic examples of this is the slime mold Fuligo septica (Fig. 1 below), which has been coined the "Dog vomit slime mold". However, the important point to note is that none of these slime molds causes any damage - they merely "perch" on a suitable substrate.
Fig 1. Fuligo septica, the "Dog vomit slime mold", growing on a decaying basidiocarp of a bracket fungus (about 15 cm diameter). [© Patrick Hickey; please acknowledge the source as Courtesy of Patrick Hickey, The University of Edinburgh] Other common examples of plasmodial slime molds include Physarum cinereum (Figs 2 and 3). This organism is often seen as clusters of small sporangia on individual grass blades. If it becomes too common it can easily be controlled by simply sweeping the grass to remove the sporangia from the turf.
Fig 2. Part of a blade of grass, about 4 mm diameter, covered with small sporangia of the slime mold Physarum cinereum. This organism is quite commonly seen on patches of turf grass - initially as gray-coloured sporangia, but the sporangia soon mature and then rupture to release the black spores. [© Jim Deacon]
Fig 3. Physarum cinereum fruitbodies, shown at higher magnification on a grass blade. [© Jim Deacon] |
