Let's go to the forest to look for slime molds.

  I will introduce you the forest where I sometimes look for slime molds ｗhen I feel like to go. This forest is located in the north side from the woods where I always walk around. And it has the role of water source of the woods located in down stream.

This is one of the slime molds that I found there. I'll describe it later in this blog.

This is a landscape of the forest. As you can see, it is nothing special. 

 The small path in the woods where only mini truck can pass. Main tree species are Japanese cypress and cedar, but I think dead logs of pine trees, oak trees and other deciduous trees are more suitable for slime molds than cypress and ceder.

 The reason that I think so is the fact that the logs of a cypress and a cedar contains various substances that make the logs resistant to decay. On the other hand, slime molds favor the fully decayed logs where many bacteria propagate. It is said that the main food of the slime molds is bacteria. 

 As I walked along the road, I encountered the small stream. Then, I went down to the small valley below the forest road. I think the dead fallen logs or branches fallen from a tall tree around there are kept in the moist condition, so I think it is favorable for slime molds to grow. Additionally, I think the best time to look for slime molds is two or three days after the end of successive rain. If immediately after the rain, I think the amoeba of slime molds are still in preparation to spread from the decayed logs. At two or three days later, it is the time when the amoeba of slime molds is just about to change into a fruiting body. So, we can observe its original beautiful shape of a fruiting body.

 I found a fallen decayed tree of a broadleaf tree. I thought I could find some slime molds on that tree. As I expected, I noticed the white creature in the hollow of the decayed tree (orange arrow). It was a kind of coral slime molds, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. flexuosa. In Japan we call it Namiuti Tunohokori. Namiuti means wavy, curved pattern in Japanese named after their shape.

 This is a close up photo of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. flexuosa.

It has a translucent stalk, white branches bifurcated several times, and becomes tree-like.

  Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. flexuosa has long branches that grow in a wavy, curved pattern. Branches are intricately intertwined with other branches.

These are wolf's milk slime, Lycogala epidendrum occurred around the hollow of the same decayed tree. They may excrete a pink paste if the outer wall is broken before maturity. I think this is the origin of its curious name.

 Since the fruiting bodies of this slime mold is vivid pink when it has just formed, and it will keep pastel pink color at least on the day of occurrence, I think. Therefore, it seems it formed yesterday judging from its outer wall.

 After I returned to the forest road from the small valley again, I found some slime molds occurred at the bottom of the fern stem and nearby a decayed tree branch. Please look at bottom right of the photo.

 This is the slime molds occurred on the fern stem. I think it's Physarum globuliferum. When the fruiting body is immature, it may be yellowish color, as shown in the bottom left of the photo, as it matures, it turns black, but eventually its surface becomes whitish like it's powdered due to the calcium granules the slime molds have secreted. Sorry if it's wrong, it's just my speculation.

 This is another photo of Physarum globuliferum occurred nearby a decayed thick branch. I think the reason a fruiting body looks white may be due to the calcium particles emerged on the surface.

 I noticed two species of slime molds on a decayed thick branch beside the forest road. The blue arrow indicates Arcyria cinerea, and the orange arrow Stemonitis fusca. 

This is  Stemonitis fusca, commonly known as “Chocolate Tube Slime Molds”. This slime mold appears very often in this woods and elsewhere.

 This is Arcyria cinerea emerged around the hollow of the decayed thick branch. But it looks different from the ordinary appearance of Arcyria cinerea. For example, the tip of fruiting bodies is blackish and they are not completely cylindrical, but angular like a banana. Probably they are still immature state, I suppose.

 Finally, do you know what this is?  Of course, this is not a slime mold, but a white fungus that parasitizes selectively insects. Maybe a long-horned beetle fell victim to this fungus.

 I took this photo, because I was intereted in its figure, that is to say it looks like some kind of a toy robot for a second.　

I took above photos on August 19th and 22nd.