Day 232: This specimen of Leocarpus fragilis (aka "Insect-egg Slime Mold") apparently found something particularly yummy on a fallen twig of fresh hemlock, and as I knelt down beside it to take this photograph, I found it hard to suppress a growing feeling of unease. How extensive might it be? I wondered. Is it crawling up my pantleg while I'm down here? Does it think I might be a candidate for its next meal? I have to admit that the more I learn about slime molds, the creepier they seem.
Slimes used to be lumped with fungi, as did lichens. Then scientists determined that there were some rather major differences between them and your friendly neighbourhood mushroom. For one thing, they were capable of movement. For another, they could communicate with others of their kind. Even creepier, they cooperate with each other, drawing together to share a communal meal and breeding. As data on their habits were compiled, it was determined that they deserved a Kingdom of their own, and thus they became known as Protists.
They fascinate me, a life form quite unlike anything else we know. I'm out there in the woods, not knowing where it may be lurking, not knowing if it has a master plan for world conquest circulating in its plasmodium. Is it benign? We'd better hope so.
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