Hemitrichia serpula

Hemitrichia serpula forms fruiting bodies that connect into meandering networks across their substrate—pretzel-like loops and connections rather than isolated individual structures. This networked fruiting strategy maintains physical connections between what would otherwise be separate fruiting bodies. The connected structure might facilitate resource sharing during spore maturation or simply reflect developmental constraints, but it creates visually striking patterns on dead wood.

The network topology of H. serpula fruiting bodies invites comparison with the foraging networks of plasmodial slime molds like Physarum. Both involve connected tubular structures, though fruiting networks are static while foraging networks actively transport materials. The developmental transition from flowing plasmodium to networked fruiting body preserves some structural features while fundamentally changing function—from nutrient acquisition to spore production.

H. serpula's bright yellow color and distinctive growth pattern make it easily recognizable in the field. The species demonstrates how slime molds can maintain organizational continuity through developmental transitions. Rather than fragmenting into isolated units, the organism preserves connections that characterized its plasmodial phase. This continuity might provide developmental coordination or simply reflect the difficulty of cleanly separating a connected plasmodium into discrete fruiting bodies.