Content
Stemonitis axifera is an amazing organism belonging to the Stemonitis family and the genus Stemontis. It was first described and named Volos axial by the French mycologist Buillard in 1791. Later, at the end of the 19th century, Thomas McBride classified it as Stemonitis, a classification that has survived to this day.
This species is a myxomycete, showing characteristics of the animal and plant kingdoms at different stages of its development.
Stemonitis axial coral-red color
Where does Stemonitis axial grow?
This unique organism is a recognized cosmopolitan. Distributed throughout the globe, with the exception of the polar and subpolar regions. In Russia it can be found everywhere, especially in the taiga. It settles on the remains of dead wood: fallen rotting trunks and stumps, dead wood, coniferous and deciduous waste, thin twigs.
It begins to appear in forests and parks at the end of June and continues to grow until late autumn. Peak development occurs from early August to mid-September.An interesting feature of these organisms is the ability of plasmodium to move at an average speed of 1 cm per hour and freeze, becoming covered with a dry crust as soon as the external environment becomes too dry. Then the fruiting bodies begin to grow, within which spores develop. When ripe, they leave the thinned shell and spread throughout the surrounding area.
Stemonitis axialis is one of the slime molds and has a very characteristic appearance.
What does stemonitis axial look like?
Plasmodium developing from spores has a white or light yellow, greenish-light green color. The fruiting bodies that have just emerged from plasmodia have a spherical appearance, white or yellowish-olive color, and are collected in close groups.
In the initial stage of development, the organism looks like white or yellowish caviar
As they develop, the fruiting bodies take on a characteristic stamen-shaped, pointed-cylindrical shape. Some specimens reach 2 cm in height, but on average their length ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 cm. The surface is smooth, as if translucent, at first white or light yellow with a greenish tint.
At the very beginning of development, sporangia are snow-white, translucent
Then it turns amber-yellow, orange-ochre, coral red and dark chocolate color. The brown-red or ashen-colored spore powder covering the surface makes it velvety and crumbles easily. The legs are black, varnish-shiny, thin, like hairs, growing up to 0.7 cm.
Is it possible to eat Stemonitis axial?
The mushroom is classified as an inedible species due to its small size and unattractive appearance. No studies have been conducted on their nutritional value, taste, or safety for the human body.
Stemonitis axial settles on dead wood in separate but closely knit groups
Conclusion
Stemonitis axial is a representative of a unique class of “animal fungi”. It can be found in forests and parks in every corner of the planet with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic. It grows from mid-summer to late autumn, until the first frost hits. Classified as an inedible species, there is no data on poisonous or toxic substances in its composition in open sources. The different types of Stemonitis are very similar to each other; it is impossible to distinguish them without laboratory testing.
