30 Nebraskaland • May 2022
could be mistaken for tiny, toadstool mushrooms.
Last, the log treated us to a patch of coral slime (Ceratiomyxa
fruticulosa). Composed of white, translucent columns that
often branch, its fruiting bodies indeed resemble coral, or
perhaps more relatable for Nebraskans, a glazing of hoar-
frost. When large, colonies can fuse, covering entire logs and
tree stumps in white. Unique among slime molds, coral slime
spores occur singly at the tips of incredibly thin stalks that
project outward from the columns. All other slime molds
bear their spores within fruiting bodies.
Though other slime molds probably grow on
Brueggemann's prized log, they were not fruiting and so
not visible. No one knows how many slime mold species
are found in Nebraska. Because our state has a relatively
dry climate and few forests, it may be only a few dozen.
World-wide, over a thousand known species of slime molds
exist. Their wind-blown spores disperse far and wide, many
species occurring on several continents.
Red lollipop caps shed
and disperse spores.
Red lollipop fruiting heads are
young and lacking color.
Red lollipop slime
with color.
