This is a small, very dead rhododendron that was left in a wet spot all winter
A closer view of the branching point of the stem, on the left side of the previous picture
The stem as it comes out f the rootball, right side of the original picture
A close view of the previous picture
Most of the myxomycete is on the leaf stretching between the two branches
Three hours after being taken inside the house for study, the myxie is starting to bunch up
Three hours - note the restriction of the plasmodium into distinct patterns
Ten hours after being brought inside. Sporangia are being formed out of the plasmodium
Ten hours - another closeup view
21 hours after being brought inside. The spore-containing structures are starting to mature and change color
Another view at 21 hours. sporangium size is about 1/2 millimeter
28 hour mark - many sporangia are now uniformly dark colored
another view, 28 hour mark
The sporangea slowly mature and the outside surface roughens.
45 hour mark
most of these still look as rounded little balls.
45 hour mark
The yellow mass is the dried out remnant of the plasmodium that fed and created the sporangium.
6 day old mark
9 days inside. The sporangia have shrunk with age to about 0.3 millimeter diameter
The rhody stem is on the bottom. The top twig is a dead wisteria branch with small orange fungi, which appear large by comparison to the myxie
INSERT ORANGE PICTURE HERE
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