Minnesota Seasons - red raspberry slime mold

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy


Conservation Status
IUCN Red List	not listed
NatureServe	not listed
Minnesota	not listed

Photo by Kirk Nelson

Description

Red raspberry slime mold fruiting body is a plump, pillow-shaped mass of tightly-packed, oblong, spore-producing structures (sporangia). Each sporangium is oblong, ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3 to 5 mm) high, and less than 1 ⁄64″ (0.5 mm) wide.

The mass (pseudoaethalium) has a knobby, raspberry-like surface and can be up to 6″ or more in length. It is held to the substrate by white stalk-like structures, but unlike fungi, it does not penetrate the substrate. It is pink to bright red when young, becoming purplish, then clay-brown, and finally brown at maturity.

It is not edible.

Similar Species

Habitat and Hosts

Rotted logs and moss

Ecology

Season

June through November


Distribution
		Sources 4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.
6/21/2024

Occurrence
Common and widespread


Taxonomy
Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoans)
Phylum	Mycetozoa (slime molds)
Class	Myxomycetes (true slime molds)
Order	Cribrariales
Family	Tubiferaceae
Genus	Tubifera

Higher ranking There is ongoing disagreement about the classification of slime molds above the rank of genus. The ranking above follows Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). It is not in agreement with Index Fungorum, MycoBank, ITIS, or iNaturalist, none of which agree with GBIF or with each other. Species complex Tubifera ferruginosa is a species complex containing at least seven species; T. ferruginosa sensu stricto, T. applanata, T. corymbosa, T. dudkae, T. magna, T. montana and T. pseudomicrosperma.

Subordinate Taxa
red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa ssp. acutissima) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. albostipitata) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. complanata) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. ferruginosa) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. subungulata)

Synonyms
Dermodium fallax Licea clavata Licea cylindrica Licea effusa Licea fallax Licea fragiformis Licea iricolor Licea rubiformis Licea tubulina Lycoperdon favaceum Lycoperdon ferruginosum Sphaerocarpus cylindricus Sphaerocarpus fragiformis Stemonitis ferruginosa Tubifera cylindrica Tubifera fragiformis Tubifera speciosa Tubulifera arachnoidea Tubulifera umbrina Tubulina coccinea Tubulina conglobata Tubulina cylindrica Tubulina cylindrica var. acuta Tubulina fallax Tubulina fragifera Tubulina fragiformis Tubulina fragiformis ssp. clavata Tubulina fragiformis ssp. coccinea Tubulina fragiformis ssp. conica Tubulina fragiformis ssp. operculata Tubulina fragiformis ssp. papillata Tubulina fragiformis var. clavata Tubulina fragiformis var. coccinea Tubulina fragiformis var. conica Tubulina fragiformis var. operculata Tubulina fragiformis var. papillata Tubulina nitidissima Tubulina speciosa

Common Names
raspberry slime red raspberry slime mold

Glossary

Sporangium

A spore bearing structure, as of a fern, moss, or slime mold. Plural: sporangia.


Visitor Photos

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Paul


Babette Kis

Red raspberry slime mold Tubifera … two photos of the same slime mold, taken 3 days apart.		I don't usually notice the slime mold when it's changing from raspberry red to clay brown. Photos taken in the woods at Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.


Karen Olson


Alfredo Colon


Kirk Nelson


MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

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Slideshows

Tubifera ferruginosa
patouch40

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

What Is This Red Raspberry Slime?
Learn Your Land

About

Published on Jun 5, 2017

While walking through the woods, I discovered this red raspberry slime on a log. What is it, and what's it doing here? Check out the video to learn more!

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Tubifera ferruginosa sporangia development
Daniel Brunner

About

Published on Oct 18, 2010

Time lapse video of the slime mold Tubifera ferruginosa developing a sporangium. Original time approx. 72 h

Tubifera arachnoidea - 2016-04-17
Westdelta

About

Published on Apr 21, 2016

(Tubifera arachnoidea). Also known as: Tubifera ferruginosa, Tubulifera arachnoidea.

Geo location: 52.04944 4.21445

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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Karen Olson 8/30/2021	Location: Kramer Lake & Wildwood Park, Stearns County

Babette Kis
7/23/2020

Location: Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.

… two photos of the same slime mold, taken 3 days apart. I don't usually notice the slime mold when it's changing from raspberry red to clay brown. Photos taken in the woods at Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.

Babette Kis
7/20/2020

Location: Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.

… two photos of the same slime mold, taken 3 days apart. I don't usually notice the slime mold when it's changing from raspberry red to clay brown. Photos taken in the woods at Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.