This is weird

[Ric]

Hi all

Are there any botanists out there that might be able to help identify this mass.

I'm assuming it is a fungus of some type with a growth rate that is amazing. When I discovered it in the corner of the tomato garden it was no more than a spot 50mm x 50mm.

After approx 1.5 hour and a light rain it had grew to cover 1.0m x 1.5m and about 50mm in depth.

It is yellow/white in colour, has the appearance of foam but when you touch it with a stick it has the consistency of thick cream.

It is really weird stuff for sure. The pictures aren't the best as I had to use a flash as it was getting dark. I'll get some better ones tomorrow if it hasn't turned into the "blob" and absorbed the farmhouse.

Cheers

[Octane (Humayun)]

I, for one, welcome our new foamy-creamy overlords.

H

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Ponders will be the one to answer this.

H, you wus.

[Ric]

Good one H.

I had a look this morning and it's still about the same size.

It seems to have died back a bit around the edges leaving a fine spider web type of filaments behind.

The tomato and chilli plants do not seem to be affected by it at the moment. We are expecting around 30+ degrees so it will be interesting to see what it's like this afternoon.

Cheers

[jenchris (Jennifer)]

Thrush!

[Ric]

That could be a worry Jennifer.

[Ric]

I think I may have found out what it is.

It goes by the charming name of......(insert drumroll)

Dog Vomit Slime Mold. (who on Earth thought of that name )

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/mulch.html

The description seems to fit what I have but I'd be keen to hear if anyone agrees with me or has other ideas.

Cheers

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Dog Vomit Slime Mold...........
for goodness sake, DON"T let any of the spores get onto your optics.
Imagine waking up and finding that stuff growing all over yer scope. ewww

[Ric]

Hi JJJ

Apparently this is the stuff that inspired the original "Blob" movie

The spores travel via water that's why it grew so quickly after the light rain.

The scope is usually set up on the other side of the house well well away from this stuff.

Cheers

[bloodhound31]

Reminds me of an episode from the old Swiss Family Robinson when a meteor brought all this sort of stuff and it covered the whole island..

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Its definitely a slime mould Ric. They are an amazing lifeform. They exist in organic matter as single organisms or small communal organisms, but when conditions are right they join together to produce zoospores. Kinda like mobile seeds. These are primarily produced when there is enough soil moisture for the zoospores to move through the soil and spread.

There are many types of slime mould (ignore the americanization of the name there is a 'u' in it. ) and some have amazing colours.

[Ric]

Thanks for the info and link Paul, it's definitely a fascinating organism.

We had more rain last night and another one sprung up on the other side of the vege bed and about the same size as the other. The original mould has also turned a lovely shade of burnt orange (very 70's) and has hardened off to a crust.

An interesting point was that I can't smell it at all but my wife Kee say's that she picked up an odour of eggs going off. It was the same with the cat's as well, our male wasn't even interested while the female picked it up from around 20 metres away and went straight for it.

Cheers

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

LOL see, I told you, Ponders is a mine of information.