''Stemonitis splendens'', commonly known as the chocolate tube slime, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
slime mold
Slime mold or slime mould is an informal name given to several kinds of unrelated eukaryotic organisms with a life cycle that includes a free-living single-celled stage and the formation of spores. Spores are often produced in macroscopic mu ...
.
Description
Fruiting body
The sporangia are dark purplish brown, smooth, dry, 10–20 mm tall, and 1–2 mm in diameter. The stem is black, 3–5 mm long, and less than 1 mm thick.
Spore
The spores are 6–9 µm in diameter, brown, globose, and covered in small warts.
Ecology and distribution
Specimens grow in small, compact clusters on sheltered, decaying wood. It is quite common within its range. In Australia the species has been observed in all states.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q20721686
Myxogastria