Slime mold

Fuligo sp.

Ok, here's yet another new phenomena in our Wildscape. 

This morning, James came in from outside and reported a strange yellow pile of what looked like "vomit" in a front-yard bed. He shot some photos and showed me. I went outside and took photos, too. This stuff wasn't there yesterday late afternoon because I watered this Rubeckia, and I'd have definitely noticed it! 

A quick look online, and I learned this is called "slime mold." From the little I've read, it's not harmful. One writeup said "THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT THEM...so you might as well enjoy them." Over near Bastrop, my friend, Brush, found a similar mold on his property, too.

AgriLife Extension published a downloadable fact sheet, "Slime Mold on Mulch."

UPDATE APRIL 11, 2012  A different slime mold below. (Gabe, the boy cat, stuck his nose in this one. See the smudge on the mold's bottom half?)