Slime mold is a tiny, funguslike living thing that usually grows on decaying wood and moist soil. There are hundreds of species (kinds).
Like many fungi, slime molds reproduce by means of spores (tiny seedlike cells). The wind distributes these spores. The spores develop into a single cell with a hairlike attachment called a flagellum. With this attachment, the cell swims about. Later, it loses the attachment and several cells unite in a jellylike mass that has the power of slow, creeping movement. This mass, called the plasmodium, is sometimes 1 foot (30 centimeters) wide. Finally, the plasmodium develops into masses of moldlike spores. The masses are often found on stumps and bark, varying in color from white to orange and red.
