''Auricularia angiospermarum'' (wood ear or tree ear) is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

in the family

Auriculariaceae The Auriculariaceae are a family of fungi in the order Auriculariales. Species within the family were formerly referred to the "heterobasidiomycetes" or "jelly fungi", since many have gelatinous basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that produce spores on ...

Basidiocarp In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome, or basidioma () is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not ...

s (fruitbodies) are gelatinous, ear-like, and grow on dead wood of broadleaf trees. It is a North American species and was formerly confused with '' Auricularia auricula-judae'' which is confined to Europe.

Taxonomy

The species was originally described in 2015 from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

on a fallen oak trunk. It had previously been referred to '' Auricularia americana'' 'deciduous unit', but additional

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioche ...

research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has shown that ''Auricularia angiospermarum'' is a distinct species.

Description

''Auricularia angiospermarum'' forms thin, brown, rubbery-gelatinous fruit bodies that are ear-shaped and up to across and thick. The fruitbodies occur singly or in clusters. The upper surface is finely

pilose Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a pl ...

. The spore-bearing underside is smooth.

Microscopic characters

The microscopic characters are typical of the genus ''

Auricularia ''Auricularia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maint ...

''. The basidia are tubular, laterally septate, 45–65 × 3.5–5

µm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

. The spores are allantoid (sausage-shaped), 13–15 × 5–5.5 µm.

Similar species

In North America, '' Auricularia americana'' is almost identical but grows on conifer wood. On wood of broadleaf trees, ''

Auricularia fuscosuccinea ''Auricularia fuscosuccinea'' is a species of edible Auriculariales fungus. It was first described scientifically in 1842 by French mycologist Camille Montagne as a species of ''Exidia''. Paul Christoph Hennings transferred it to ''Auricularia ...

'' occurs in southern North America and typically has cinnamon-brown to purplish-brown fruitbodies. ''

Auricularia nigricans ''Auricularia nigricans'' is a species of fungus in the family Auriculariaceae. Basidiocarps (fruitbodies} are gelatinous, ear-like, and grow on dead wood of broadleaf trees. It is found in southern and eastern Asia, North America, South Americ ...

'' is also southern, but has a densely

upper surface.

Habitat and distribution

''Auricularia angiospermarum'' is a wood-rotting species, typically found on dead attached or fallen wood of broadleaf trees. It is widely distributed in North America, but is not currently known elsewhere.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q111684981 Auriculariales Fungi of North America Fungi described in 2015 Taxa named by Yu-Cheng Dai