Identification: Funny little fungus balls growing under a pot.

Hey All,

I originally posted this over at the cactiguide.com succulent help forum, since this stuff is growing under a pony tail palm. Here's the link to that post, since it has several pictures showing the growths in question.

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=34421

Beneath the pot of my ponytail palm, all around the drainage hole and going up into the root system, is some kind of growth. At first, I thought is was a nest of bug eggs, however, it was suggested, and seems most likely, that it is some kind of a fungus. Google images has been surprisingly bleak - there are a few pictures of this exact fungus, but on every forum, no one ever figures out quite what it is, or whether it is hurting the host plant. I have realized that I should bring the question to the folks who know about fungi.

The fungus looks just like a massive complex of teeny tiny spider egg sacs. Hundreds of very small, spherical nodes, each perhaps 1 mm in diameter, completely dry to the touch, and barely tinted yellow. They are tightly packed together, and are connected via a light coating of fuzz.

Does any of you know what these are? If so, do you happen to know whether it is necessary or how to treat it to save my plant? Any information/advice you might have on them would be greatly appreciated.

I am in Upstate Ny in USDA Zone 5b.

Thank you so much for you time!

-A

 

I don't know what it is, but I have had that growth around under my potted plants--on succulents and cactus . I wiped it off and kept the pot drier than I normally do for a while. It went away and nothing happened to the plants.

 

Okay thanks! I will do the same and see what happens.