A few years ago, I visited a friend’s clapboard house. I noticed on an outside surface what appeared to be (and was once labeled) a fungus – the stemonitis chocolate brown slime mold. A good friend offered the use of her cell phone to take a photograph. It is the image associated with this article.
The fibrous and fuzzy brown growth was located in the area right next to an air conditioner condensation runoff. The weather had been unusually humid to boot.
Stemonitis, while it is not the most toxic of molds, is of serious concern to health conscious individuals. It is most closely associated with decaying wood. This was the first time the author had ever come across the mold. The spore output of this chocolate brown thready mess is astounding, even astronomical.
The following high-speed YouTube video imagery is very impressive. The actual required time for sporangia development was, curiously, a mere 24 hours! Household mold represents a health risk through a number of mechanisms, including allergic response, toxins, and infection.
Note: You might also enjoy Puffballs, Eartstars, Jelly, and Bracket Fungi
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