Chocolate Tube Slime Mold

Without a spore print, there's no way to reliably get this slime mold down to species. This slime mold may look like a fungus, but it's not: slime molds and fungus are in two separate phyla, quite the separation. The plasmodia of the slime mold creep along the wood, engulfing any food, and sending up those tall reproductive structures, which bear spores. These spores are carried off by the wind, and are also released when physical pressure (such as an animal brushing against the stalks) is applied. Found at Barbara A. Beiser Field Station.