In our neck of the woods... Wood Ear

During another hike in our forest, I came upon these unusual fungus fruiting bodies growing from a dead log. They look like sheets of translucent jelly. Remember Fruit Rollups, the gooey, fruit-based, candy-like stuff that came in rolled sheets? That's what this fungus reminds me of.

Well, it turns out this fungus is actually included in a group of weird fungi called "jelly fungi" (those that look and feel like jelly or rubber).

This species is called wood ear, tree ear or jelly ear. It is actually edible, though I haven't tried this species. But many people, including Trish and me, and maybe you, have eaten a closely related species that is cultivated in Asia and is usually included in Chinese hot and sour soup.

Wood ear has medicinal value. This fungus improves blood coagulation and decreases blood cholesterol levels. It is a really popular edible mushroom in China, which might be part of the reason heart disease is relatively rare in China. Hmm... maybe I should start collecting and eating the stuff.

The first photo doesn't really show how translucent these fruiting bodies are. So, on the same dead log, I found another wood ear that happened to be situated where a beam of sunlight fell directly on it. I crouched low to get a photo showing how the sunlight filters through the fungus.

Photos by Stan C. Smith