discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 93WHAT
ON EARTH?Fruits of
the forest
If you’ve ever wondered where the candyfloss
trees grow... this image won’t help, unfortunately.
Because these are not trees, nor even plants,
nor even fungi. They are slime moulds, which
are members of an entirely different kingdom
of single-celled, amoeba-like organisms that
live solitary lives until they come together to
produce the fruiting bodies visible here. These
were photographed in the New Forest in August
- where and when you might be lucky enough to
see them for yourself. You’ll have to look closely,
though: they stand just 2mm tall. And you’d
best bring your own candyfloss. SB