Tapioca (Brefeldia maxima)

🏷️ Description

Nature is full of bizarre and fascinating life forms, and Brefeldia maxima, also known as the tapioca slime mold, is certainly one of them! This non-parasitic plasmodial slime mold belongs to the Myxomycetes class and is a master of disguise, transformation, and survival. 🌱💨

The Art of Slime Mold Movement: Unlike plants or fungi, this slime mold moves! 🚶‍♂️ Well, kind of—its plasmodium slowly flows over surfaces in search of food, exhibiting rhythmic cytoplasmic streaming to distribute nutrients. It’s a living, pulsating intelligence navigating its environment without a brain.

Masters of Survival & Dispersal: How does Brefeldia maxima spread? Spores are mainly dispersed by wind, but interestingly, they’re sticky and often hitch a ride on beetles (family Latridiidae) and other insects. Some research suggests that soil invertebrates and rain play a bigger role than previously thought. 🌧️🐞

🔎 Identification

Imagine stumbling upon a pure white, jelly-like mass that looks eerily similar to a bowl of tapioca pudding. That’s Brefeldia maxima in its plasmodial phase! This phase is essentially a single enormous cell, capable of growing over a square meter and weighing up to 20 kg—making it one of the largest known cells on Earth! 😲🦠

As it matures, this blob-like wonder darkens, forming a purplish-black spore-producing structure known as an aethalium. The spores, measuring 9–12 µm in diameter, are yellow-brown and warted, ready to embark on their journey.

🌍 Habitat & Ecology

Though found worldwide, Brefeldia maxima is particularly common in Europe and the UK, but rarer in North America. It thrives in damp conditions, often appearing after heavy rains, and can be spotted on rotting logs, leaf litter, compost heaps, and decaying organic material. 🌳🍂

🏺 An Ancient Enigma

Slime molds like Brefeldia maxima have been around for 600 million to 1 billion years, predating brains and nervous systems entirely. Yet, they can remember, anticipate, and decide—choosing the most efficient paths to resources. Scientists are still unraveling their mysteries, and they were once mistaken for fungi. Today, they belong to no formal taxonomic group, sitting in their own weird and wonderful biological niche. 🔬🧠

📜 Synonyms

1. Lycoperdon echiniformis Sowerby (1803)

2. Reticularia maxima Fries (1825)

3. Licea perreptans Berkeley (1848)

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: Axel Gudmundsson (CC BY 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: Peter Eriksen (CC BY 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: Victoria M. (CC BY 4.0)

Photo 4 - Author: Christopher Volker (CC BY 4.0)