Slime molds called Jewelry Box in forest

 Today I'll introduce you the slime molds that looks like the jewelry box in the forest. This is Hemitrichia clavata var. calyculata that is called a yellow-fuzz cone slime when it fully matures.　 

 By the way, when I went to the woods where I usually observe the slime molds two days ago, unfortunately my car got a flat tire on my way to the woods in the forest road, probably by a sharp stone. 

 So, l called JAF (Japan Automobile Federation）to ask the road service. After about one and half hours, a medium-sized truck for transporting broken down vehicles came to rescue me from the nearest JAF center, but the forest road was narrow and they couldn't enter in. So, I had to drive my punctured car jolting to the main road.  This time, the distance I had to move my car to the relief car was short, so I was able to get out safely, but I think it would be difficult if I had a flat tire deep in the forest road.

 Well, today I drove carefully and slowly along the forest road. When I walked along the unpaved narrow forest road, I noticed small red round creatures occurred on a thick decayed tree fallen over the road. I think this decayed tree is a pine tree judging from  the remained tree bark.  When I got closer, I realized they were the slime molds such as the jewelry box in the forest, Hemitrichia clavata var. calyculata.

 I have only ever seen vermilion fruiting bodies (sporangia in the science term) so far and I have been under the impression that a vermilion sporangia is the initial stage of  this slime mold. But this time I could observe further immature pale-yellow fruiting bodies mixed in vermilion ones.

Immature pale-yellow fruiting bodies.

Following photos are the vermilion fruiting bodies emerged on the decayed log.

I like this slime mold that occurs on decayed logs in autumn.

It's very small but vivid in color.

 Comparison with a 100 JPY coin in size. The diameter of the fruiting body is less than 1 millimeter.

 However, this beautiful state doesn't last too long. The reddish color gets darker and darker, eventually turning blackish brown. 

 When I visited there again 4 days later, the vermilion fruiting bodies had changed into dark brown. 

 Finally, the outer skin of the fruiting body (sporangia) breaks and creates goblet-shaped cups filled with yellowish, fuzzy threads interspersed with pale yellow spores. The stages of Yellow-fuzz Cone Slime are so unique that you might well not recognize that they are the same species.

Please see the previous my blog on Yellow-fuzz Cone Slime.

The slime mold named Yellow-fuzz Cone Slime