Dog Vomit Slime Mold – those are four words that command attention.
And when you spy this bright yellow primitive organism in your newly landscaped yard, you will not have any trouble identifying it.
kAmx>28:?6 H92E 92AA6?D :7 J@FC 5@8 4=:>3D FA @? E96 <:E496? 4@F?E6C 2?5 D42C7D 5@H? 2 42CE@? @7 688D] qC:89E J6==@H[ D=:>J[ 4@>A=6E6=J C6G@=E:?8 8@@ @FE :? E96 J2C5 … *FA[ E92E’D s@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5]k^Am
kAmqFE 5@?’E 3=2>6 #@G6C E@@ BF:4<=J – E9:D 2?4:6?E @C82?:D> 92D 366? 2C@F?5 =@?8 367@C6 E96C6 H6C6 5@8D] %9C@F89 s}p 2?2=JD:D[ D4:6?E:DED 92G6 56E6C>:?65 E92E D=:>6 >@=5D H6C6 @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE =:G:?8 @C82?:D>D E@ >@G6 @?E@ =2?5 9F?5C65D @7 >:==:@?D @7 J62CD 367@C6 E96C6 H6C6 A=2?ED @C 2?:>2=D @? t2CE9]k^Am
kAmtG@=FE:@?2CJ 3:@=@8:DE $2?5C2 q2=52F7 E@=5 kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>m%96 }6H *@C< %:>6Dk^6>mk^DA2?m “E96J >2J 36 2D @=5 2D E96 E6CC6DEC:2= 64@DJDE6>]”k^Am
kAm(6’C6 E2=<:?8 2 3:==:@? J62CD @C D@] ~=5]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ D4:6?E:DED 92G6 :56?E:7:65 23@FE h__ DA64:6D @7 D=:>6 >@=5D 2C@F?5 E96 8=@36]k^Am
kAms@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5 H2D 7:CDE :56?E:7:65 :? `faf] r2C= {:??26FD[ E96 @C:8:?2E@C @7 E96 D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>:?8 DJDE6>[ 42==65 :E kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>m|F4@C D6AE:4FDk^6>mk^DA2?m :? `feb] xE C646:G65 :ED 4FCC6?E D4:6?E:7:4 ?2>6[ kDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>muF=:8@ D6AE:4FDk^6>mk^DA2?m[ :? `fg_[ H9:49 :D 2 ?:46 6?@F89 >@?:<6C 3FE ?@E ?62C=J 2D AF?49J 2D s@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5]k^Am
kAm%9:D D=:>6 >@=5 :D ?2E:G6 E@ E6>A6C2E6 =2?5D 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5[ 7C@> }@CE9 p>6C:42[ tFC@A6 2?5 #FDD:2 :? E96 ?@CE96C? 96>:DA96C6 E@ pFDEC2=:2[ }6H +62=2?5[ D@FE96C? p7C:42 2?5 $@FE9 p>6C:42 :? E96 D@FE96C? 96>:DA96C6]k^Am
kAm%96 C62D@? {2<6 |2CE:? C6D:56?ED 2C6 =:<6=J E@ DA@E :E :D E92E s@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5 :D 4@>>@?=J 7@F?5 :? >@:DE[ D925J 2C62D H:E9 =@ED @7 @C82?:4 >2EE6C[ DF49 2D H@@5 2?5 =62G6D] %92E’D 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 56D4C:AE:@? @7 E96 7C6D9 >F=49 FD65 :? :CC:82E65 7=@H6C365D 2C@F?5 =2?5D42A65 =2<6 9@FD6D]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 :E :D D@>6E:>6D C676CC65 E@ 2D 2 7F?8FD[ s@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5 :D 24EF2==J 2 >6>36C @7 E96 !C@E@4E:DE2 <:?85@> E92E :?4=F56D 2== >2??6C @7 AC:>:E:G6 =:76 7@C>D[ :?4=F5:?8 2>@632D[ <6=A 2?5 C65 2=826]k^Am
kAm%9:D 72D4:?2E:?8 DA64:6D 492?86D D92A6[ 7@C> 2?5 >2J36 6G6? =@42E:@? @G6C?:89E] xE @7E6? 6>6C86D @? @C ?62C 8C@F?5 =6G6= 2D 2 D=:>J EC2?DA2C6?E “A=2D>@5:F>” E92E =@@<D D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 2 3=@3 @7 688 H9:E6D @? H2C>[ >@:DE ?:89ED – 2 4@?5:E:@? E92E AC6EEJ >F49 DF>D FA ?:89ED @? {2<6 |2CE:? 7C@> ?@H F?E:= $6AE6>36C @C D@]k^Am
kAm%96 A=2D>@5:F> 92D E96 23:=:EJ E@ “4C2H=” =:<6 2? 2>@632[ 2D E96 46==D >F=E:A=J 2?5 E96 4@=@?J 8C@HD]k^Am
kAm(96? 4@?5:E:@?D 368:? E@ 5CJ – D@>6E:>6 27E6C E96 b 2]>] DAC:?<=6C DJDE6> D9FED @77 @C 27E6C 2 C2:? – E96 A=2D>@5:F> “7CF:ED” 2?5 368:?D E@ =@@< >@C6 =:<6 2 3@H= @7 F?4@@<65[ 362E6? 688D 367@C6 :E 8C@HD 3C:89E J6==@H DECF4EFC6D E92E =@@< D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 4@C2=D @C 2 8C@FA @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 G6CJ E:?J 2?E=6CD @C 2 7@2>J 3=@3] xE :D @7E6? D66? :? E96 7CF:E:?8 DE286 62C=J :? E96 >@C?:?8] pD E96 DF? 9:ED E9:D DECF4EFC6 2?5 E6>A6C2EFC6D 368:? E@ C:D6[ s@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5 H:== 5CJ 2?5 92C56?[ E2<:?8 @? E96 =@@< @7 J6==@H[ @C2?86 @C H9:E:D9 7@2> :?DF=2E:@?] ~? :ED DFC7246[ J@F >2J D66 5C@AD @7 52C< @C2?86 @C C65 =:BF:5[ H9:49 >2J =@@< =:<6 5C@AD @7 3=@@5 WE96J’C6 ?@EX] %9:D EC2?D7@C>2E:@? @44FCD G6CJ BF:4<=J[ :? 2 >2EE6C @7 9@FCD]k^Am
kAmpD :E 4@?E:?F6D E@ 5CJ @FE[ E96 92C56?65 3=@3 H:== 368:? E@ =@D6 :ED 4@=@C 2?5 364@>6 4CFDEJ] qFE :E’D ?@E 5625] x?DE625[ 36?62E9 E96 DFC7246[ E9:D @C82?:D> :D 56G6=@A:?8 >:==:@?D @7 DA@C6D E92E 2C6 C6=62D65 H96? E96 4CFDEJ DFC7246 :D DE6AA65 @? 3J 2?:>2=D @C 3C@<6? @A6? 3J H:?5 @C C2:?] x7 J@F 3C62< @?6 @A6? 2?5 D66 H92E =@@<D =:<6 2 AF77 @7 D>@<6[ :E’D 2 DA@C6 4=@F5 E92E DAC625D E9:D @C82?:D> 2E E96 H9:> @7 E96 H:?5D]k^Am
kAm%96D6 DA@C6D H:== =2?5[ 2?5 :7 E96J H:?5 FA @? 5642J:?8 H@@5 @C @E96C @C82?:4 >2EE6C[ E96 AC@46DD H:== 368:? 282:? H96? E96 >@:DEFC6 2?5 E6>A6C2EFC6 2C6 C:89E]k^Am
kAm$=:>6 >@=5 DA@C6D 42? =2J 5@C>2?E 7@C J62CD H2:E:?8 7@C E96 C:89E 4@?5:E:@?D]k^Am
kAms@8 '@>:E $=:>6 |@=5 :D ?@E 92C>7F= E@ >@DE A6@A=6[ E9@F89 :E 42? D@>6E:>6D 42FD6 2DE9>2 7=2C6\FAD @C 2==6C8:4 C624E:@?D D:>:=2C E@ 92J 76G6C]k^Am
kAm~?6 F?:BF6 492C24E6C:DE:4 @7 E9:D D=:>6 >@=5 :D E92E :E :D 9:89=J C6D:DE2?E E@ E@I:4 >6E2=D[ 6DA64:2==J K:?4[ 2==@H:?8 :E E@ DFCG:G6 :? A=246D H96C6 ?@E >F49 6=D6 42?]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89@FE 9:DE@CJ[ E9:D @C82?:D>’D 2=>@DE >28:42= 2AA62C2?46 2?5 C2A:5=J 492?8:?8 492C24E6C 92D 2E E:>6D 42FD65 2 7@=<=@C6 DE:C]k^Am
kAm$42?5:?2G:2?D @?46 E9@F89E :E H2D E96 G@>:E @7 EC@== 42ED[ >JE9:42= 2?:>2=D E92E H6C6 4@?;FC65 FA 3J H:E496D E@ DF4< >:=< 7C@> 4@HD 2?5 DE62= 4C62> 7C@> 72C>9@FD6D] %96 sFE49 D@>6E:>6D 42== :E H:E496D’ 3FEE6C]k^Am
kAmp?5 C6>6>36C E9@D6 688D @? E96 4@F?E6Cn $@>6E:>6D 96C6 :? p>6C:42 :E :D 42==65 D4C2>3=65 688 D=:>6 >@=5[ H9:49 :D 2? 2AAC@AC:2E6 ?2>6 :7 J@F 92AA6? E@ 36 2 G6CJ 62C=J C:D6C]k^Am
kAmk6>m$@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> E96 |2DE6C v2C56?6C !C@8C2> 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (:D4@?D:?[ :}2EFC2=:DE[ (:<:A65:2 2?5k^6>m kDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 }6H *@C< %:>6Dk^DA2?mk6>m]k^6>mk^Am
