Coral slime mold, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, is a fairly common sight in the Midwest, especially after heavy rains. Look for spreading white patches on the well-decayed, barkless deadwood of hardwoods or conifers—then, look closely at the tiny, coral-like structures that make up the patches of white: individual translucent tubes, sometimes branched once or twice, under a centimeter high.

There are two other species of Ceratiomyxa, both tropical and therefore unlikely to be found in the Midwest. Ceratiomyxa sphaerosperma looks like tiny little clusters of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, set atop tiny stems of transparent jelly–and Ceratiomyxa morchella looks like a tiny white morel mushroom with a transparent stem.