Wild discoveries - Braeburn Park

This was found by a volunteer during one of our work days. After asking around we were told it looked like a 'Slime Mould'. A quick google image search later and I found this looks most like Dog Sick Slime Mould (Mucilago crustacea), whose name comes from the fact that it resembles a pile of dog vomit on the ground. Lovely! The fruiting body is originally a yellowish colour which pales then blackens over time, so the one in this photo is probably quite old. Slime Moulds are in the Kingdom Protista; they're neither plants, animals or fungi. They're really interesting and complex organisms and worth having a read about.