Diachea leucopodia

Wallaga Lake, NSW

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Identification history

Diachea leucopodia	25 May 2020	Pam
Diachea leucopodia	25 May 2020	Pam
Unidentified	9 May 2020	JoyGeorgeson

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User's notes

A white fungus on grass and leaves in a damp shaded area of the garden.

4 comments

Pam wrote:

25 May 2020

This looks like the early stage of Diachea leucopodia. The small white club-like structures (sporangia) are the reproductive elements of this slime mould (myxomycete) that contain the maturing spores. At the stage when you took your photo these sporangia were immature,hence white in colour. When this slime mould matures the covering (peridium) around the spores, which are within that top cylinder section of the tiny clubs shaped will become iridescent.
Note slime moulds are not fungi they belong in Myxomycetes (plasmodial or acellular slime moulds) in the Kingdom Protista whereas fungi belong in the Kingdom Fungi. But don't worry about all of that as they are studied by many people who also study fungi just thought you might like to know.
Great images they need to go up on the species list images so people can see what this species looks like in the field when immature. Thanks for a great postin.

JoyGeorgeson wrote:

26 May 2020

Thanks for your fascinating comment Pam, it is really interesting to know it belongs to slime moulds, I'm sorry I didn't photograph it as it matured. How do I put the images on the species list?

Pam wrote:

29 May 2020

Apparently I have to do that for you sorry about misleading you!! You live and learn.........

JoyGeorgeson wrote:

30 May 2020

That's fine!

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