A slime mould - Metatrichia floriformis - geograph.org.uk - 1493934

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Summary.mw-parser-output table.commons-file-information-table,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:5px;font-size:95%;border-spacing:2px;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;width:100%}.mw-parser-output table.commons-file-information-table>tbody>tr,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody>tr{vertical-align:top}.mw-parser-output table.commons-file-information-table>tbody>tr>td,.mw-parser-output table.commons-file-information-table>tbody>tr>th,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody>tr>td,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody>tr>th{padding:4px}.mw-parser-output.fileinfo-paramfield{background:#ccf;text-align:right;padding-right:0.4em;width:15%;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table+table.commons-file-information-table,.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table+div.commons-file-information-table>table{border-top:0;padding-top:0;margin-top:-8px}@media only screen and (max-width:719px){.mw-parser-output table.commons-file-information-table,.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table.fileinfotpl-type-information{border-spacing:0;padding:0;word-break:break-word;width:100%!important}.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table>tbody,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody{display:block}.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table>tbody>tr>td,.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table>tbody>tr>th,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody>tr>td,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody>tr>th{padding:0.2em 0.4em;text-align:left;text-align:start}.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table>tbody>tr,.mw-parser-output.fileinfotpl-type-information>tbody>tr{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table+table.commons-file-information-table,.mw-parser-output.commons-file-information-table+div.commons-file-information-table>table{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output.fileinfo-paramfield{box-sizing:border-box;flex:1 0 100%;width:100%}} Description: English: A slime mould - Metatrichia floriformis [For details of the habitat, and of the climatic conditions which caused an abundance of slime mould species in this area, see 1493931, which shows a different species growing alongside this one on the same log. See 1528103 for a list of all five species found on the log.] These shiny little black spheres are just under a millimetre in width, and are the spore-producing bodies of the slime mould species Metatrichia floriformis. The shiny outer layer (the peridium) splits open in a way that suggests the petals of flower (hence the "floriformis", "flower-shaped"), although in a slightly more ragged fashion. The fluffy yellow mass inside consists of threads called elaters; see the link in the first paragraph for a description of their function. (A few days earlier, before the black spheres had formed, the slime mould appeared only as a dark reddish-brown smear on the wood, rather like a patch of oil.). Date: 11 September 2009. Source: From geograph.org.uk. Author: Lairich Rig. Attribution(required by the license)InfoFieldLairich Rig / A slime mould - Metatrichia floriformis / CC BY-SA 2.0. InfoFieldLairich Rig / A slime mould - Metatrichia floriformis. Camera location55° 58′ 03.8″ N, 4° 34′ 18″ W View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 55.967720; -4.571600. Object location55° 58′ 03.8″ N, 4° 34′ 18″ W View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 55.967720; -4.571600.