What is the curious slime mold, "Wolf's Milk"?

It's almost over this year.

Today was a nice day, so I went to observe slime molds, mushrooms, et cetera  at the usual place.  

In this area, we will be able to find easily the slime mold called “Wolf’s Milk”  on the damped rotten logs throughout the year. Wolf’s Milk (Lycogala epidendrum) is a species of slime molds which is occurring all over the world and often mistaken for a fungus. 

I found its old mature fruiting body facing the end of their lives. Their bodies have a hole at the top where their spores were released out.

As a matter of fact, I didn't know how wolf's milk released their spores until I realize this top hole.　

So, I'd like to introduce this curious slime mold with emphasis on its fruiting body.

First of all, this is a pastel pink slimy body oozed through the rotten wood and moss.　It is called a plasmodium of Myxomycetes in science terms. You might not believe it, but it is one giant cell that contains a great many nuclei.

The fruiting bodies are formed from these slimy cells. They contain liquidy bright pink substances inside immediately after the formation. The sticky pink liquid could be popped like a zit if you press with your finger. I think this is the origin of its curious name.

These are the fresh fruiting bodies. I think it hasn't been too long since their appearance. Because it still has a faint reddish color.

It becomes brownish in a few days. It resembles a propagule of a Japanese yam. 

I think the custom of eating a propagule of a Japanese yam is not well known outside Japan.

At this stage, it's internally not yet mature and looks like a purple sweet potato filling.

The following three photos were taken today.（on December 28th)

The top part is torn a little and grey powdery spores are visible around there.

When I pressed its body a little, powdery spores were swirling in the air and fell around. 

I teared the fruiting body as an experiment, then I found it was filled with gray powdery spores.

The manner that Wolf’s Milk releases its spores from a top hole seems to be the same as that of the fungus named "Gem-studded puffball" (Lycoperdon perlatum).

Please make sure not to be wrong, this is "Gem-studded puffball", a fungus.

It looks similar to wolf's milk seen from above, isn't it.　Although the size is obviously larger.

If you look at it from the side, this is definitely a mushroom.