Fungal growth visible around the ramjets of a B-1B Hussar.

Because air flows past the jet faster than the speed of sound, any mold spores present on the craft will be super-enriched by the oncoming airflow, which at high altitudes is over 90% Oxygen because the heavier Nitrogen atoms fall to lower sections of the atmosphere.

The oxygen enriched fungus can grow at spectacular and dangerous speeds, up to one meter per hour. Needless to say this is a risk as the fungus can clog the ramjets and lead to stalling, or even an explosive blast if a mushroom should form and hit one of the ramjet’s many fragile spinning blades. Anti-fungal paint and regular cleanings help prevent such disasters, but the real line of defense is the Fungal Obliteration Damage search before flights, or “FOD Walk” in which crew will manually inspect each jet for signs of mold.

The practice was introduced after the destruction of the Hindenburg Zeppelin, which is suspected to have caught slime mold in its ventral ramjets. So outraged at this event was the scientific community that slime molds were even robbed of their fungal status and reclassified as Myxogastria, latin for “The mold which shall not be named”.

Spastic Lichen can be found only on branches of the Epileps Tree.

Hepler’s Mold takes over a car-

Ever leave a window open and get snow in your car? Well, in the tropics they have another problem: Hepler’s mold. The bright fungus naturally eats away at trees but naugahyde (the fake leather in most cars) contains ten times more cumulus oophorus cells than the tree bark from which its made.

And here’s the result. The bright fungus has completely consumed the car’s interior. It may look soft and cushy but you’d find no place in the world less comfortable, as the mold can also grow in human lungs. The spores from this car would kill a passenger within ten minutes. The bright fibers of victims erupt from their mouths in a gruesome spectacle that the natives of these regions call “Elmo’s Death”.

Not to be outdone by man-made mushroom clouds, this volcanic blast appears to have mold growing on it.

Submission from Siryl, thanks!