Members of the Trichiales are usually fairly easy to recognise. The spore mass is typically more or less brightly coloured (rarely grey or light brown), a characteristic shared with few other myxomycetes. Most species in the order produce a stalked or sessile sporangium, but a few produce a plasmodiocarp. None of these ever has a columella. A capillitium consisting of solid or tubular, smooth or sculptured, free or attached threadlike elements is always present, but in some instances it may be so limited in extent as to be easily overlooked. The order contains three families: Arcyriaceae, Dianemataceae, and Trichiaceae.