Jelly Ear

Jelly Ear Facts

This highly distinctive variety of fungus most frequently goes by the simple yet uncannily descriptive common name of the Jelly Ear. Like many species on earth, though, it also bears still other, alternate names. These options include such terms as Jew’s Ear and the Judas’s Ear.
Among professionals, such as researchers, however, it’s perhaps much better known by its technical name. That term, though, as such things do, remains quite difficult for the layperson to pronounce. That’s because it holds the technical name of Auricularia auricula-judae.
Its naming took a rather circuitous path. The eminent Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus recorded the first known description of the mushroom, in 1753. Later, however, the French botanist Jean Bulliard renamed it. The wonder received the name it presently holds in 1822.
The Jelly Ear appears to presently be maintaining a population base that’s both stable and sufficient. This fortunate fact further seems to hold true throughout the entirety of its native range. The IUCN thus presently has no listing for it on its Red List of Threatened Species.
The marvel of Nature nevertheless must be considered as facing at least some threats to its continued existence as a species. These, though, remain the same most species face. Habitat loss certainly qualifies. Its greatest threat, however, most likely consists of climate change.

Black Witches' Butter, Exidia glandulosa — Black Witches’ Butter

Indigo Milk Cap, Lactarius indigo — Black Witches’ Butter

Jelly Ear Physical Description

The Jelly Ear unquestionably constitutes an intriguing variety of fungus. It fully merits the attention it garners from those who encounter it. It further does so due to several factors. Its sheer size qualifies as one of those. Though by no means the largest, it’s an above-average sized specimen.

Individual specimens sometimes attain a diameter measuring as much as 3.5 in (9 cm). Most, however, tend to remain slightly smaller than that. The species also achieves a thickness of up to 0.12 in (3 mm). Each example, though, tends to develop in its own entirely unique exact shape.

But overall, members of the species develop as a shape often compared by observers to that of a floppy human ear. That therefore serves as the origin of the most often used name. Some examples, though, occasionally display a somewhat different shape. These typically appear cup-shaped.

Most specimens of the highly distinctive Jelly Ear attach themselves laterally to a surface. This means that these do not possess a stalk. A small percentage of them, do, however, develop this feature. Among these less common forms, the stalk nevertheless remains extremely short in length.

While living, the body displays a realtively tough, gelatinous texture that’s slightly elastic to the touch. The majority of the upper surface also displays a mainly reddish-tan shade. This same part of the fungus also often possesses a light purplish hue. It also frequently manifests tiny gray hairs.

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Auriculariales
Family: Auriculariaceae
Genus: Auricularia
Species: A. auricula-judae

Jelly Ear Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology

The remarkable Jelly Ear evolved as native to an extremely large swathe of the surface of the globe. Not surprisingly, that same region’s already well known for its great abundance of intriguing flora and fauna. That’s because this wonder of Nature developed natively in what’s now Europe.

In fact, the fascinating fungus appears in virtually all parts of this beautiful continent. Intriguingly, however, evidence additionally indicates that this product of Nature never existed naturally beyond this region. Related species do live in other parts of the world, but not this specific fungus.

It also displays decidedly clear preferences for where it chooses to appear. This primarily consists of areas of temperate forest. The natural wonder even manifests obvious preferences for which types of hosts. This consists almost exclusively of several species of deciduous trees and shrubs.

This intriguing product of evolution most commonly develops on elder trees. Other, less popular, hosts include varieties such as spindle, ash, beech, and sycamore. Conifers, though, rarely play host to this particular fungus. It also prefers to develop on notably older, or even dead, branches.

The amazing Jelly Ear most frequently develops as an entirely solitary species. It nevertheless does occasionally develop in small clusters. Fascinatingly, it also makes appearances throughout the year, even during winter. Its numbers do usually tend to be slightly fewer during that season, though.

Like other all other known fungi on earth, this unique looking variety reproduces via the spreading of its very tiny spores. In its particular case, however, it ejects these from the underside of the fruit body. It also produces and ejects as many as several hundred thousand of these per hour!