Auricularia polytricha (Mont.) Sacc.

Common name: Hairy Jew's Ear. A corruption of 'Judas Ear'. For a derivation of the name see Auricularia auricula-judae. Also called Wood Ear.

Description: The fruiting bodies are up to 10 cm in diameter and are usually much darker brown in colour than those of A. auricula-judae. The upper surface is covered in a dense coat of short hairs. The underside of the fruiting bodies is usually pinkish, smooth or a little wrinkled, and covered by a delicate white bloom that is easily destroyed at a touch. The texture is gelatinous-rubbery and the fungus has little or no taste. It dries quite hard like thin plastic or finger nails.

The spores measure 820 × 510 µm, are ellipsoidal, smooth and colourless.

Substratum: Auricularia polytricha is common on old logs in tropical and subtropical rainforests, often in large clusters.

Distribution: Known from New South Wales and Queensland, but may extend to Victoria in eucalypt forests.

Notes: This species is edible and used in Chinese cooking.