Not to be confused withDog vomit slime mold.
Didymium spongiosum, also known asdog sick slime mold, is aspecies oftrue slime mold in the orderPhysarales.[1][2] Before reclassification in 2023 it was known asMucilago crustacea.[3] Due to its visual resemblance to canine vomit,[4] it is known colloquially as the "dog sick slime mould"[5] or "dog sick fungus",[6] albeit that slime moulds are not true fungi.[6]
| Didymium spongiosum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Phylum: | Amoebozoa |
| Class: | Myxogastria |
| Order: | Physarales |
| Family: | Didymiaceae |
| Genus: | Didymium |
| Species: | D. spongiosum |
| Binomial name | |
| Didymium spongiosum (Leyss.) J.M. García-Martín, J.C. Zamora & Lado | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
The fruiting body is yellow to white, becoming paler with time, and then blackening.[5]
It usually occurs on damp grass.[4] The species was described by P. Micheli ex F.H. Wigg.[4][7]
References
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Media related toDidymium spongiosum at Wikimedia Commons
- ^abGarcía-Martín, J.M.; Zamora, J.C.; Lado, C. (2023-12-31)."Multigene phylogeny of the order Physarales (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa): shedding light on the dark-spored clade".Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi.51 (1):89–124.doi:10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.02.ISSN 0031-5850.PMC 11041899.PMID 38665983.
- ^"Didymium spongiosum (Dog Sick Slime Mould)".iNaturalist. Retrieved18 March 2025.
- ^Ing, B. (1999).The myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland. An identification handbook.Slough: Richmond Publishing Co.
- ^abcSilverside, Alan J."Mucilago crustacea".Images of British biodiversity. Retrieved1 September 2018.
- ^ab"Dog Sick Slime Mould".NatureSpot. Retrieved1 September 2018.
- ^abO'Riordan, Elaine (August 2017)."Mucilago crustacea".People and Nature - The Galway County Biodiversity Project. Retrieved1 September 2018.
- ^Prim. fl. holsat. (Kiliae): 112 (1780)