Species details
Tripe fungus
Auricularia mesenterica
Inedible
Photo: Michel Langeveld · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A tough gelatinous wood fungus with a grey-brown concentrically zoned upper surface and purplish-brown wrinkled fertile underside.
Identification features
Fruitbodies are thin, often overlapping like tiles, felted and zoned above, vein-wrinkled and purplish-brown below. The stem is very short or absent.
Identification checklist
Check the combination of a concentrically zoned upper surface and gelatinous wrinkled purplish-brown underside.
Detailed features
- Stem
- The stem is very short or absent.
Habitat
Grows year-round on dead or weakened hardwood, especially beech, maple and elm.
Fruiting period
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Ecology
- Host trees
- Maple (Acer), Elm (Ulmus)
- Substrate
- Wood
- Notes
- Grows year-round on dead or weakened hardwood, especially beech, maple and elm.
How to separate similar species
Auricularia auricula-judae is more ear-shaped and less strongly zoned above. Stereum species are not gelatinous.