Stats

Lifespan: A few weeks
Size: Small
Diet: Decomposer
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Spores
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Uncommon

About

A gelatinous, coral-like fungus that forms rubbery, translucent branching clumps on rotting wood and forest litter. Unlike true coral fungi, it belongs to the jelly fungus group and can shrivel to a hard crust in dry weather before rehydrating into its soft form after rain.

Life cycle

1.
spore
A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2.
mycelium
A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3.
fruiting body
A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Sebacinales
Family: Sebacinaceae
Genus: Sebacina
Species: Sebacina schweinitzii