Fuligo septica Imagine that you are lying down and an amorphous mass of protoplasm (cell contents) called a plasmodium engulfed and digested you. Well if you were a microorganism or organic matter, this is what a slime mould would do.
A definition is "A simple organism that consists of an acellular mass of creeping jelly-like protoplasm containing nuclei, or a mass of amoeboid cells. When it reaches a certain size it forms a large number of spore cases (sporangia)."
Slime moulds are amazing organisms where individuals can join together and coordinate like they have a brain. When the protoplasm is on the move one can see the contents streaming backwards and forwards using a microscope. They are not fungi but somewhere between them and protozoa. They occur in the bush and in lawns including the unforgettable ‘Dog Vomit’ slime mould.
The slide show follows of the progression of a white slime mould from clear protoplasm to spore balls
A definition is "A simple organism that consists of an acellular mass of creeping jelly-like protoplasm containing nuclei, or a mass of amoeboid cells. When it reaches a certain size it forms a large number of spore cases (sporangia)."
Slime moulds are amazing organisms where individuals can join together and coordinate like they have a brain. When the protoplasm is on the move one can see the contents streaming backwards and forwards using a microscope. They are not fungi but somewhere between them and protozoa. They occur in the bush and in lawns including the unforgettable ‘Dog Vomit’ slime mould.
The slide show follows of the progression of a white slime mould from clear protoplasm to spore balls
The Strawberry Slime Mould Tubifera ferruginosa forms a red fruiting mass of globular spore containers. As they mature the mass becomes brown, sheds spores and fades.
 Strawberry slime mould early spore mass |  Mature spores |  Spores shed |
Images below show the progression of a yellow-brown Dog Vomit Slime Mould Fuligo septica) to the minute spore capsules, which can form beautiful shapes, which can be seen in this Australian Geographic article.
 Spore mass forming |  Developing spore containers |  shed spore containers |
Some slime moulds can resemble puffballs like Reticularia lycerpodon, (False Puffball). They are distinctive in forming a smooth ‘skin’ on a powdery spore mass (sporangium). The skin became more obvious as the sporangium (fruiting body) dries.
If conditions become very dry when this species is in the plasmodial stage it is able to survive as a dry dormant resting body called a sclerotium. When wet weather returns the sclerotium changes to the plasmodial stage to feed before forming a sporangium at the end of the season.
If conditions become very dry when this species is in the plasmodial stage it is able to survive as a dry dormant resting body called a sclerotium. When wet weather returns the sclerotium changes to the plasmodial stage to feed before forming a sporangium at the end of the season.
 False puffball mass forming on a lichen  Chocolate 'jelly' mass |  Skin forming  Dry spores dispersing |
Another false puffball slime mould Lycogala epidendrum Wolf's Blood formed amazingly quickly on a rotting pine stump in my back yard. Bright orange 'balls' formed overnight in April, formed a gun metal skin over pinkish brown contents the next day then powdery spores by the third.
 Newly formed Lycogala epidendrum |  Mature Lycogala epidendrum |