Lycogala epidendrum

Lycogala epidendrum looks nothing like stereotypical slime molds—its pink, spherical fruiting bodies (aethalia) resemble tiny puffballs or small round fruits. Young aethalia contain pink paste-like contents (hence 'wolf's milk') that mature into powdery gray spores. This enclosed fruiting strategy differs dramatically from the open spore-bearing structures of most slime molds, representing a convergent evolution toward puffball-like morphology seen in some fungi.

The aethalium structure provides protection during spore maturation. Rather than exposing developing spores to environmental hazards, Lycogala encloses them within a tough outer wall (peridium). Spores complete development in this protected environment before release through the opening peridium. This strategy trades immediate dispersal for protected development—mature spores may disperse less efficiently but develop under more controlled conditions.

L. epidendrum's resemblance to fungal puffballs illustrates convergent evolution toward similar solutions. Both organisms faced similar challenges—protecting developing spores, then releasing them for wind dispersal—and arrived at similar structural solutions despite completely different evolutionary origins. Slime molds are amoebae; fungi are a separate kingdom entirely. Their similar fruiting bodies demonstrate how functional requirements constrain evolutionary outcomes: when problems are similar, solutions often converge regardless of starting point.