Pretzel Slime Mold on Bark

Description

The words "slime" and "mold" don't exactly conjure images of beauty. But myxomycetes organisms are known commonly as slime molds and are often stunning in color, texture, and form. Many slime molds are named after the objects that they resemble such as pretzels, raspberries, chocolate, coral, scrambled eggs, and even cotton candy! Because of similarities in habitat, appearance, and reproductive cycle, slime molds are often mistaken for fungi, but they are classified as protists along with amoeba and other single-celled organisms.