Tubifera ferruginosa

T. ferruginosa is often found growing on damp rotten wood in temperate forests. It forms small, cushion-like "pseudoaethalia", or fruiting bodies from June to November that are bright red when young, and purple-brown when mature. These "pseudoaethalia" are different from the aethelia of other slime molds like Fuligo septica, because they are made of tightly bunched, gelatinous rods, or sporangia. Each individual sporangium is approximately 0.5 mm wide and 3 to 5 cm tall, while the width of the pseudoaethalia can reach 15 cm.^[5] The pseudoaethalia is anchored to a surface by the hypothallus, a spongy, raised structure that appears light in color.^[3]

The name "ferruginosa" comes from Ferrug-, meaning “rusty” or “rust”; and -osa, meaning “fullness” or “abundance”.^[6]