Free Images of Fabulous Fungi
Tubifera ferruginosa 

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*** Warning ***

I wrestled with the option of whether or not to try to identify and place names to my fungus images.  The study of fungi is done by specialists known as a "mycologists" who have many years of education and specialize in identification.  There are many techniques used to identify a mushroom and it simply cannot be done by visual inspection alone.  Incorrectly identifying a mushroom can have deadly consequences if eaten.

While I have tried to link images with fungus names, I am but a lay person and have used books and images to try to look up, categorize and name the species.  My identification should in no way be relied upon and may be completely inaccurate!

There are many toxic mushroom "look-alikes"  that resemble edible ones.  You should UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES  rely up on any of these images to identify edible, toxic or medicinal organisms/plants.  Some mushrooms and fungi are DEADLY  poisonous and their effects do not show up until it is too late to save yourself.  YOU alone are responsible for properly identifying any mushrooms that you may be interested in.  I have attached names to images which I merely THINK resemble the species.

I am grateful for corrections to taxonomic determinations, please contact me at FreeTiiuPix 

Tubifera ferruginosa
[Red Raspberry Slime]

I suspect the images below to be that of the slime mould Tubifera ferruginosa, also known as "Red Raspberry Slime". 

This mould is part of the Reticulariaceae family.  The sporangia (cell or cells in which spores are formed) resembles a red raspberry.  "Ferrug-" means "rusty" or "rust" and "osa" means "fullness" or "abundance".  As the cluster matures, it will turn more purple in colour and then brown, to resemble a group of small, erect cigars.  

T. ferruginosa is similar to Lycogala epidendrum in that the individual sporangia are tightly pressed together to form the shape that we see.  Sporangia crowded together is known as the "pseudoaethalium".  In this species, the individual fruit bodies are about .5 mm wide and 3-5 mm high.  Clusters can grow to be up to 15 cm or more.

This species fruits from June through November on decaying wood and wood debris, sometimes on leaf litter on the forest floor.

Tubifera ferruginosa - 1
[Photographed in Southern Ontario in July]

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Tubifera ferruginosa - 2
[Photographed in Southern Ontario in July]

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