However, the basidia are not always easy to see. The Dacrymycetales have aseptate basidia in the shape of tuning forks.

The Tremellales have cruciate-septate basidia (vertically septate, parallel to their direction of growth). The Auriculariales have transversely septate basidia, perpendicular to their direction of growth. The orders can be distinguished from one another by observation of their basidia. However, if you have a microscope, classification of the jelly fungi into these orders is relatively easy, as long as the fruiting bodies are in the proper stages of development. It can sometimes help to use ecology as a character- typically the Auriculariales and Dacrymycetales are good wood-decay fungi, while many of the Tremellales are parasites on other living fungi. It takes some practice to be able to identify the orders using only macroscopic characteristics. However when dried they become very horny (get your mind out of the gutter- I mean hard like a cow's horn.) and do not closely resemble the fresh fruiting body. The Auriculariales are characterized by their typically brown colors and are known for their tough, rubbery consistency. The Dacrymycetales typically are tougher and more orange in color, although there is at least one brown species, Dacryopinax elegans, that can cause major confusion for identifiers. I've already had Tremella mesenterica as Fungus of the Month- you may remember it as Witch's butter. They range in color from brown to yellow and even white. Members of the Tremellales tend to be of a softer texture and more easily 'squished' than the other two phyla, although there are exceptions. There are three unrelated orders of fungi that fall under the common name of jelly fungi: Auriculariales (the ear jelly fungi), Tremellales (the jelly fungi), and Dacrymycetales (the tuning fork jelly fungi). It would be good at this point to discuss the many different kinds of jelly fungi. It is easily available in dried form in almost every oriental food store, in specialty food markets, and even in many large grocery stores. However, it certainly can be much larger and tends to grow in subtropical to tropical areas. It seems likely that Auricularia polytricha, cultivated for use in Oriental dishes, is a very close relative or even the same species. Sometime the scientific name is listed as Hirneola auricula. In fact ' Auricularia' means ear and the epithet ' auricula-judae' means 'the ear of Judas.' Since the mushroom is particularly prevalent on menus in Oriental restaurants, more preferred names would be the 'wood ear mushroom' or the 'cloud ear mushroom,' Some would consider other translations of the name perjorative, and hence I have not mentioned them here. However the intriguing name has stuck, even with the normally stuffy taxonomists. Obviously someone had an overactive imagination when seeing an ear on a tree and thinking of Judas.

If you don't remember your New Testament (or care about it), Judas was the apostle who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The common name Judas's ear comes from the legend that Auricularia formed its ear-shaped fruiting bodies as a curse on the tree on which Judas hanged himself. When you're out in the woods with your friends, it's nice to have a stories to tell, and we hope you will learn much about this fungus on this page. Most of them have the uncanny ability to dry out then rehydrate, and you will likely be able to find them even in the early spring as leftovers from last year, even if you're in the far north. The 'jellys' are fun fungi to find in the woods and can be found very soon after a rainfall. Most are more solid than jelly that you spread on bread, with a texture similar to that of Gummi Bears TM. This month's fungus, Auricularia auricula-judae, is one of the jelly fungi.Īll of the jelly fungi are Basidiomycota with unusual jelly-like texture. for the rest of Tom Volk's pages on fungi Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for April 2004 Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for April 2004Īuricularia auricula-judae, wood ear or cloud ear mushroom a.k.a. Auricularia auricula-judae, Wood ear fungus, Cloud ear fungus, or Judas' ear fungus, in honor of Easter.

Auricula play translation