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A slime mould - Badhamia lilacina (plasmodium)

Much of this moor consists of Sphagnum bogs, but this heather was growing at a location that was wetter than most. The stems were coated with a vivid yellow slimy substance, the plasmodium of the slime mould species Badhamia lilacina. The plasmodium is the more slimy stage of the life-cycle, in which the slime mould is mobile, moving rather slowly and feeding on bacteria (among other things).

Over the next few days, the amorphous yellow mass became more clearly differentiated into tiny clustered globes (still bright yellow), precursors of the spore-producing stage into which the plasmodium develops. In fact, on the day before I took this photo, and less than a hundred metres from this spot, I had already photographed an example of the spore-producing stage of this species: NS3778 : A slime mould - Badhamia lilacina; see that item for further details of the preferred habitat of B. lilacina.

Compare, also, photos at a Danish site: Link (auto-translated).