| Latin Name | Observation date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Stemonitis axifera | 07 02 2025 | North Acèh Regency, Acèh, Indonesia |
I found something interesting in the trunk of a dead areca palm tree. From a distance, I initially thought it was some kind of small mushroom, but as soon as I got closer, its unique shape immediately caught my eye—a collection of smooth, blackish-brown stems, standing upright with rounded tips like the head of a pin. This is Stemonitis axifera, a type of slime mold that is often mistaken for fungus, but it's not!
I found these small colonies growing on damp parts of the stems and starting to rot, conditions that slime mold really likes to grow. Upon closer inspection, the structure is truly unique—the stems are thin and brittle, with a finely powdered head that looks ready to release spores. When I tried to touch it carefully, some parts immediately scattered like fine dust.
What makes Stemonitis axifera interesting is not only its shape, but also its life process. Before it becomes like this, it is in the plasmodium phase—like mucus that can move around looking for food. When the time comes, it turns into these rod-like structures to spread its spores.
Views like this make me even more amazed by the micro world that is often overlooked. Sometimes we think there is only soil and dead wood, but there is small life developing there. I also took several pictures with a macro lens to capture their details before finally leaving them where they were, continuing their life cycle in nature.
NOTE: I first wrote the article above in Indonesian, which is my own language, then I translated it using English with the help of Goggle.
| Camera used | Smartphone |
|---|---|
| Lens | Macro |
| F-stop | - |
| Iso speed | ISO |
| Focal length | MM |
| Photography | Stemonitis axifera |
| Location | Aceh Indonesia |
| Photographer | @bananaklatbarat |
| Link to original | community | |
|---|---|---|
| Link | https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/261554036 | |
| Latitude Longitude | Map | |
| - | - | |
| =4.9786331 | =97.2221421 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=4.9786331&mlon=97.2221421#map=12/4.9786/97.2221 |
