Jelly Fungi

[ Basidiomycetes . . . ]

by Michael Kuo

The jelly fungi are diverse and complicated, representing an entire subclass (the Tremellomycetidae) of the Basidiomycetes. Identification of species often hinges on microscopic examination, and things are further complicated by the fact that it is often difficult to transport a jelly fungus home in "examinable" condition, to say nothing of the difficulties encountered with trying to dry and preserve specimens.

Some of the jelly fungi are edible--notably, Auricularia auricula, which is a staple in some Asian cuisines--but they are for the most part unappetizing and difficult to cook (they tend to liquify in the pan).

Many slime molds go through a jelly-like phase in their life cycles; see the linked page for further information.

For now, anyway, I provide only a cursory treatment of the jelly fungi, with occasional pages for commonly encountered species. Below are links to these pages, as well as a list of sources for those who want to pursue jelly fungus identification further.

Auricularia auricula
Bulgaria inquinans
Ductifera pululahuana
Exidia glandulosa
Phlogiotis helvelloides
Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
Syzygospora mycetophila
Tremella foliacea
Tremella mesenterica
Tremella reticulata
Tremellodendron pallidum

References

Arora, D. (1986). Mushrooms demystified: A comprehensive guide to the fleshy fungi. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press. 959 pp.

Bandoni, R. J. (1987). Taxonomic overview of the Tremellales. Studies in Mycology 30: 87-110.

Ginns, J. (1986). The genus Syzygospora. Mycologia 78: 619-636.

Klett, H. C. (1964). North American species of Exidia. Ph.D. thesis, University of Washington, Seattle. 55 p.

Looney, A. M. (1933). A morphological study of certain species of Tremella. Studies in Natural History at Iowa University 15: 17-38.

Lowy, B. (1952). The genus Auricularia. Mycologia 44: 656-692.

Lowy, B. (1971). Flora neotropica. Monograph no. 6. Tremellales. New York: Hafner Publishing Company. 153 p.

Martin, G. W. (1952). Revision of the north central Tremellales. Studies in Natural History at Iowa University 19: 1-112.

Olive, L. S. (1947). Notes on the Tremellales of Georgia. Mycologia 39: 90-108.

Smith, A. H., Smith, H. V. & Weber, N. S. (1981). How to know the non-gilled mushrooms. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown. 324 p.

Torkelsen, A. E. (1968). The genus Tremella in Norway. Nytt. Mag. Bot. 15: 229-232.

Wells, K. (1958). Studies of some Tremellaceae. II. The genus Ductifera. Mycologia 50: 407-416.

Wells, K. (1994). Jelly fungi, then and now. Mycologia 86: 18-48.

Zugmaier, W. et al. (1994). Mycoparasitism of some Tremella species. Mycologia 86: 49-56.

Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2004, January). Jelly fungi. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/jellies.html

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