Monday, October 6, 2008

Here To Stay

I didn't water my garden this morning because it looked as though it may rain today. I went out to inspect the dryness of the soil when I got home from work, and was in awe at what I found. 

Dog vomit or dog vomit slime mold?

Ready to make spores!

Which one of these parsley sprouts most looks like Steve McQueen?

Fuligo Septica, or Dog Vomit Slime Mold, as it is more widely known. Apparently you cannot get rid of it. The good thing is that it isn't harmful to plants or people. It's actually a delicacy in Mexico, like its cousin, Huitlacoche (corn smut).

Confused and afraid of what it could be (I first thought it was vomit, seriously, until I noticed it had friends...), my first reaction -- which was very human, and even more American -- was to kill it. I took a stick to it. 

This very slime mold was the inspiration for the 1958 classic, The Blob. It just keeps going, and going, and going...

In hindsight, I feel kinda dumb. Not to mention that I didn't really kill it, just disturbed it. Well, I guess I'll have to befriend it, but I doubt I'll be sharing any Scotch with it. 

4 comments:

Iris said...

eewww! Thanks for the warning so I won't freak if it shows up in my beds. Still waiting for the alleged RAIN...

Shadd Scott said...

hilarious.

Laurie said...

Neato!

TexasDeb said...

I've got something similar growing on mulch around one of our Myer Lemon trees. I am relieved to read that it isn't really a problem for the plants. I wasn't sure what (if anything) to try and do about it other than be grossed out by how it looks.

It was great on the Fungus Man's site how he simply kept repeating you can't make it go away - nothing can be done.

Maybe it should be renamed - The Borg.

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