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A slime mould - Lycogala terrestre

Growing on a fallen branch beside NS3781 : Upper Stoneymollan Road, these immature fruiting bodies are about 1cm in diameter, and resemble tiny oranges; at this early stage, they are still fairly delicate, and they retain the vivid orange colour of the plasmodium from which they developed (see the links given below for further explanation).

There are two very common Lycogala species in Britain, namely, L. epidendrum and L. terrestre; the latter is thought to be the more common of the two in Britain and Ireland. The two species were, until fairly recently, treated as one; collectively, they form the L. epidendrum aggregate [see "The Myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland – An Identification Handbook" (Bruce Ing, 1999) for the various characteristics that distinguish one from the other].

Compare NS3878 : A slime mould - Lycogala terrestre, NS3984 : A slime mould - Lycogala terrestre (plasmodium), and, by way of contrast, NS3984 : A slime mould - Lycogala epidendrum.