Goop in front lawn

bill henderson · Post by **bill henderson** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:49 pm

I need some help on the ID of this stuff.
Slime mold of some sort? It was in my lawn and the Pill bugs love it.
Looked like cornbread at first,with mincemeat pie center.

Sony 828 on close focus.

HELP

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:10 am

I would say that you have a plasmodium here but myxos being as strange as they are lead one to assume otherwise sometimes. This could possibly be a Fuligo species, commonly known as the "dog vomit" plasmodium. Then again it could be the "Real Mc Coy."

but I kind of doubt it. With this particular species you never know, so the next best thing is to don some surgical gloves, take a sample to smear and see what the microscope reveals. If you have spores, great...if you don't...well just leave it alone

You could also just keep an eye on the thing and see if it moves any from its original position. Plasmodia move about at a fantastic rate of about 1 inch per hour but that is an approximate figure, some move slower.

DaveW · Post by **DaveW** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:53 am

Ken says:- "You could also just keep an eye on the thing and see if it moves any from its original position."

I say if it does run! I've seen the science fiction films, maybe they are all not fiction?

DaveW

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:56 am

Whatever it is, you captured it very nicely Bill

Very gross IMO

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:04 am

Dave wrote:

I've seen the science fiction films, maybe they are all not fiction?

Funny you should say that Dave. If we look back at all those old science fiction films and even the things that many years ago were or would have been considered fictional, they have all for the most part, become reality in todays world. The heliocopter for example or going to the moon.

If one delves into the world of plasmodial slime moulds, they will find a world stranger than fiction but a fact of science and nature. The plasmodium will eventually transform itself from being an animal into something entirely different, neither plant, animal, nor a fungi. Though the slime moulds do exhibit traits commonly associated with fungi. Myxomycetes are very beautiful when the plasmodium erupts into the fruiting bodies of the organism and their world or the one that they live in, is just as equally as beautiful and mysterious

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 2:26 pm

From similar photos on Google I reckon Ken's hit the spot with his id of "dog vomit slime mold".

Whatever it is my dog Maggy would eat it given half a chance

Bruce

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 3:05 pm

You know Bruce there are some people in far off countries, seldom recognized or noted unless something disaterous happens to them, that capture the large plasmodia and do in fact eat them

Some plasmodia have been known to cover an entire lawn and cause area wide panic among residents because of the pulsating and amoeboid movement of the creature. I think but I would have to look it up in Prof. Stephensons book, that in 1975 I think...wait a minute let me get the book...1973, Dallas TX, the myxomycete F. septica, which is bright yellow, covered the entire lawn or lawns within a suburb causing panic and terror in the hearts of the citizens there. They hit the thing with a high pressure water hose but it, the plasmoidum, only broke apart and continued to grow, seathe, and genrally crawl about, causing even more pandimonium. It was thought to be something from space by most residents and that we or they, had been invaded.