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A slime mould - Tubifera ferruginosa

In the shade of the woods, close to the ruins of a walled garden ( Link ), a mossy tree stump was host to the slime mould species shown here, Tubifera ferruginosa. Identification of slime moulds to species often requires microscopic examination, but this one has a distinctive macroscopic appearance, and cannot be mistaken for any of the other British species.

The appearance of its spore-producing bodies (sporocarps) is often compared to that of a strawberry; the largest one in this image is 2cm across. The body is composed of many cylindrical tubules packed together. The vivid colour shown here does not last for very long; 24 hours later, the sporocarps were dark brown, although their shape was unchanged.

Slime moulds were in abundance in this area, not only because late summer to autumn is the best season for finding them, but also because this was a rare interlude of a few dry days following several months of almost continuously wet weather.

[NB: Slime moulds are not strictly fungi.]