Polypore

The Jew’s Ear likes to grow on the common elder and on false acacia. Its very supple fruit-bodies are bone hard when dry, but become pliable again when moistened. Some related species which grow in Asia arc used in cooking. Tremella mesenterica is often found on the dead branches of deciduous trees, usually hornbeams and oaks.

The species is often characterized by large round pores in the form of tubular openings about 2-4 mm wide, which are interspersed with minute, rust-coloured pores, through which drops of a hot bitter liquid are excreted. The fruit-bodies also secrete surplus water in this way.

This Polypore is one of the most damaging but also prevalent members of this extensive family and lives on old trunks of fruit trees. Its fruit-bodies are juicy, meaty, heavy and very watery.

Inonotus hispidus is an annual fungus which attacks orchards with apple and occasionally pear trees, causing great damage. It prefers older trees as their central wooden column rots quickly. In the past a yellow dye has been produced from its fruit:- bodies, used for painting and silk dying. In favourable conditions this fungus grows very fast, reaching a large size and weight, which can amount to as much as 5 kg when fresh. It is inedible.

Inonotus hispidus is an annual fungus which attacks orchards with apple and occasionally pear trees, causing great damage. It prefers older trees as their central wooden column rots quickly.

Pseudolydnum gelatinosurn is characterized by its tough, gelatinous, tongue-shaped fruit-bodies and by the soft dense teeth on its underside. The colour of the fruit-bodies varies, ranging from pure milky- white and bluish shades to a dark amber-brown. P. gelatinoston is an edible species but due to its second-rate quality it is rarely collected. Usually it can be found growing on pine and spruce stumps.