Baby Jelly Ear?

jennyb · #1 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 06:48 PM

I found these in my garden at the weekend and think they must be a very young Jelly Ear - Auricularia auricula-judae. I can't think what else they could be.

They were very small. The first one was about 2 cms across. On the second, the "finger" sticking up was about 1.5cm. They were soft and jelly-like.

They were growing on a fallen alder branch (alder NOT elder).

I went back today to see if they had grown at all, and if anything they had shrunk slightly.

I am confused by their size and that they were growing on alder.

Can anyone confirm what they are?

Thanks,

Jenny

CapAndBracket · #2 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 07:01 PM

They look like the stunted version of Macrotyphula fistulosa which sometimes
appear on wood rather than the long thin form when it grows amongst litter,
i havn't seen this version.

Cheers J.P.

Chris Yeates · #3 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 07:28 PM

Macrotyphula is not gelatinous so seeing if it will snap or stretch would be a useful clue

the glistening surface of the starry growth does look rather like Jew's Ear

now that we have colder weather, with the occasional cold snap, we can expect more photographs of various groups of fungi showing abnormal growth; I've also started to see sterile agarics - toadstools which look perfect but which refuse to yield a single spore! another sign of the late season . . .

NickCantle · #4 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 07:29 PM

Very odd indeed.

What immediately came to mind when I clicked the first image is immature Tremella foliacea. Very weird though!

CapAndBracket · #5 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 07:37 PM

Looks like another learning experience, thank's for posting the image.

Cheers J.P.

jennyb · #6 (**permalink**) 03-11-2008, 07:48 PM

Thanks, guys. I have looked up Macrotyphula fistulosa and although my second photo looks a bit like one in the Gallery, most of them on the branch were not club shaped.

They really looked like tiny Jelly Ears.

They were quite soft and if I had to guess I would say they would strech rather than snap. I will try it tomorrow. Anything else I should to do try to confirm the ID?

Jenny