Microbiology 

What is this?

Picture contributed by Thomas Harrington.

Ceratocystis fimbrata formed on a black-rotted sweet potato storage root. The ascospores of the sporulating C. fimbriata have accumulated in a sticky drop at the tip of their perithecial necks. The combination of the fruity aroma and the sticky spores is thought to be an adaptation for promoting fungal dispersal by insect vectors.

Ceratocystis fimbriata is a plant pathogen of a wide variety of annual and perennial plants, including many tree species.