About this fungus
Cloud Ear is a fungus in the Auriculariaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A brown, rubbery ear or irregular disc attached laterally to dead wood, hairy above and smooth beneath.
What to check
Compare both surfaces, the thickness of the fruit body, hair length under magnification and the host. A white spore deposit may be hard to obtain from thin fruit bodies.
Variation
Moist fruit bodies are flexible and gelatinous. Dry ones shrink, darken and become hard, then can expand again after rain. Pale or nearly white forms occur.
Lookalikes
Several Auricularia species are extremely similar in photographs. Names historically used as Auricularia polytricha have been applied inconsistently, and microscopic hair and spore characters or DNA may be required.
Habitat and range
A wood-decaying species reported widely through tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, Australasia, Pacific islands and parts of the Americas. Some broad historical records may contain other species.
Food safety
Edible.
Use this profile to learn what to examine and compare, not as proof that a mushroom is safe to eat. Check the whole specimen and every important lookalike before reaching an identification.
Photographs
Photo: Matt H · CC0 1.0