slime mould

noun

any of various simple spore-producing organisms typically found as slimy masses on rotting vegetation, where they engulf food particles by amoeboid movements. Formerly regarded as fungi, they are now classified as protoctists of the phyla Myxomycota (true, or cellular slime moulds) or Acrasiomycota (plasmodial slime moulds)

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Example Sentences

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Mr Uddin discovered a grouping of slime moulds arranged on a fallen log in a forest.

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His photo “Life Under Dead Wood” featured fruiting slime mould alongside a tiny, energetic springtail.

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The beauty of slime mould is revealed in a picture by Jason McCombe, who won the Botanical Britain category.

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"The Craterium minutum slime mould was found on decaying vegetation, at the edge of a compost heap in my garden, captured following a hard frost," said Webb.

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Most are microscopic, single-celled organisms like amoebas, algae, and diatoms, but larger multicellular protists exist -- such as kelp, slime moulds, and red algae.