Aethalia

/əˈθeɪliə/ noun

Definition

Plural form of aethalium; a type of fruiting body produced by slime molds (myxomycetes) consisting of a mass of spores enclosed in a common envelope.

Etymology

Modern scientific Latin, plural of 'aethalium.' The term was coined by mycologists to describe structures in slime mold reproduction, from Greek 'aither' (ethereal, upper air).

Kelly Says

Aethalia look like tiny dust clouds or puffballs, but they're actually the reproductive structures of slime molds—single-celled organisms that behave like miniature organisms.

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