The scientific profile
From the latest record: 2023-08-05.
Plasmodium color
Often yellowish, turning brown with age
Fruit body
Stalked sporangia
Sporangium texture
Utricular, or balloon-like
Sporangium color
Initially translucent, becoming brown
Spore print
Spore color: Brown when mature
Ecology
Habitat: Decaying wood, leaves, and organic material
Description
Lifecycle stages: Amoeba → multicellular slug → sporulating fruit body
Overview
Recognizable by its utricular sporangia, the Badhamia utricularis slime mold can be found on rotting wood and leaves. Its lifecycle is captivating, shifting from amoeba-like cells, grouping to form a slug-like mass, and eventually becoming the fruiting body. As a decomposer, it helps recycle nutrients in forest ecosystems, and its distinct sporangia offer a fascinating study for mycologists and naturalists alike.
source: Nomenclatural Database of Eumycetozoa (Myxomycota)