- One of the Zygomycota, Spinellus ('little spines') is grouped under Mucorales (bread molds), but this one is no bread eater. It's a genius parasite that doesn't eat its host too quickly, allowing the gilled Mycena to release its spores (ensuring a steady supply of new hosts) before digesting the host into a squishy puddle. Meanwhile, the Spinellus fusiger has lots of time to produce its asexual spores inside the sporangia (the black heads at the end of the spine), which stretch out from the host to be dispersed by wind, water, insects, animals, or photographers!
Size ref:the fallen Oak leaves
Hanningfield Reservoir, UK
November 2011
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