Jew’s Ear

The Jew’s Ear likes to grow on the common elder and on false acacia. Its very supple fruit-bodies are bone hard when dry, but become pliable again when moistened. Some related species which grow in Asia arc used in cooking. Tremella mesenterica is often found on the dead branches of deciduous trees, usually hornbeams and oaks.

The species is often characterized by large round pores in the form of tubular openings about 2-4 mm wide, which are interspersed with minute, rust-coloured pores, through which drops of a hot bitter liquid are excreted. The fruit-bodies also secrete surplus water in this way.

These drops are best visible on young growths, which secrete large amounts of this liquid. This process takes place only in favourable damp weather conditons. The old dry fruit-bodies are hard, frail and almost black.

The species is often characterized by large round pores in the form of tubular openings about 2-4 mm wide, which are interspersed with minute, rust-coloured pores, through which drops of a hot bitter liquid are excreted. The fruit-bodies also secrete surplus water in this way. These drops are best visible on young growths, which secrete large amounts of this liquid. This process takes place only in favorable damp weather conditions. The old dry fruit-bodies are hard, frail and almost black.

Inonotus hispidus is an annual fungus which attacks orchards with apple and occasionally pear trees, causing great damage. It prefers older trees as their central wooden column rots quickly.

Pseudolydnum gelatinosurn is characterized by its tough, gelatinous, tongue-shaped fruit-bodies and by the soft dense teeth on its underside. The colour of the fruit-bodies varies, ranging from pure milky- white and bluish shades to a dark amber-brown. P. gelatinoston is an edible species but due to its second-rate quality it is rarely collected. Usually it can be found growing on pine and spruce stumps.