Tiny fungi

These colonies of little fungi have appeared on an old rotten log. The top image shows a colony of little round fruiting bodies. The whole group is only 65 mm across and the little beetle holes also give some scale. Identification is difficult. Even my botanist wife cannot be sure. They do resemble the Orange Jelly fungus (Dacryomyces genus) but are flatter and some seem to be producing red blobs - spores perhaps?





The second image is of another tiny fungus nearby. The little object on it is a pollen spore case from a nearby cyprus tree.





All taken with smc Pentax DA 35mm Macro Limited, 1/2000, f/5.6, ISO400 and cropped slightly.

Nice examples , particularly like the 2nd image (I've always loved the DA35 macro) - was it taken in Essex? Braintree by any chance?

A slime mold known as wolf's blood, I believe (I will stand corrected on that if necessary). They are related more closely to amoebas than to fungi. These are phenomenally well detailed. Great pictures.

It was taken in my garden in Linton, south Cambridgeshire. The ethics border is only a few minutes walk away; is there some joke about Braintree? I must be a bit dim but I don't get it!

In a creepy/alien way I guess they do rather look a bit like brains. That speckled pink with ozing blood-orange pussuals and then that vivid orange one, they all look hideously great!

The wonder's of the natural world never ceases to amaze me.

The 35mm Ltd is a brilliant lens!

Cheers
Mike

Thanks to all for your comments. It never occurred to me that the second fungus looked anything like a brain; I have seen lots of brains during my career as a research biologist! Agreed about the DA 35mm Macro Limited. It is a great all-rounder if one does not need a zoom or longer focus. I bought it, several years ago, from a fellow PU member. I reckon he was daft to sell it

Cheers,
Martin.