Description:
Golden yellow when damp, turning orange and shrivelling to a tiny fraction of its former size during very dry weather; gelatinous; no distinctive smell or taste. Initially disc-like, the fruit body soon develops contortions resembling the structure of a brain.
Distribution:
Frequent and widespread.
Habitat:
On dead and decaying hardwood, especially birch, ash and hazel. Occasionally found also on decaying gorse wood.
Additional Notes:
During wet weather is the best time to find this fungus: during dry spells it shrivels up almost completely to leave just a thin rubbery patch on the host wood.
