Auricularia auricula-judae - Jelly Ear Fungus

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Auriculariales

Auricularia auricula-judae, the Jelly Ear Fungus, is mainly seen in winter and spring. It grows mainly on dead elder trees and on fallen branches, but occasionally you may also find it growing on other kinds of hardwood.

This fungus is sometimes used in cookery, where it provides an interesting texture but nothing that I can detect in terms of flavour. A similar species is a very popular edible fungus in the far East, and most notably in China.

Identification Guide

Size	Lobes grow to between 3 and 10cm across.
Description	The outer surface of the lobed fruitbody is tan-brown with a purple tinge and covered in a fine greyish velvety down. The inner surface is smooth. If you are not put off by the strange appearance and sombre colour of this fungus, it is in fact edible when cooked - and very popular in some eastern countries.
Spores	White.
Odour/taste	Not distinctive.
Habitat	On dead and decaying elder wood; also on the branches of elder trees that are dying, and sometimes on the trunks of living elders. It is rare but not unknown to find this fungus on other kinds of broad-leaf trees.
Season	Throughout the year but most prevalent in late summer and autumn.
Occurrence	Frequent and widespread.
Similar species	Auricularia mesenterica, commonly known as Tripe Fungus or Grey brain Fungus, is smaller, greyish-brown and forms bracket-like tiers on dead broad-leaf timber. It is more 'hairy' and much paler than Jew's ear Fungus.