C. THE JELLY FUNGI
Key to the major groups
The jelly fungi or Hymenomycetous heterobasidiae is a complex group of fungi and not only includes our common jelly fungi but many microscopic forms some of which are parasitic. The group is divided into three main divisions depending on the position of the cross-walls within the basidium, or whether the basidium is in the shape of a tuning-fork. They are probably not closely related one to another.
- Auriculariales (Basidia divided into cells by transverse walls)
- 1. Fruit-body lacking a cap and more or less forming a gelatinous coating on plant-debris Helicobasidium
- Fruit-body with more or less distinct cap, gelatinous but tough [2]
- 2. Fruit-body ear-like or cup-shaped; upper surface with grey hairs and lower surface lilaceous brown or wine-coloured Hirneola
- Fruit-body at first cup-shaped but then spreading; upper surface grey and hairy, and lower surface purplish. Auricularia
- Tremellales (Basidia divided into cells by longitudinal walls)
- 1. Fruit-body with distinct stem and spines on lower surface Pseudohydnum
- Fruit-body lacking a well-developed stem, either reduced to a small lobe or entirely absent [2]
- 2. Fruit-body flattened or disc-shaped, often with warts or veins on the surface; spores more or less sausage-shaped Exidia
- Fruit-body brain-like or with irregular bumps, sometimes lobed or irregular and encrusting [3]
- 3. Fruit-body brain-like or with bumps or bosses; spores rounded or ovoid Tremella
- Fruit-body encrusting woody or herbaceous material; spores ellipsoid Sebacina
- Dacrymycetales (Basidia resembling the shape of a tuning-fork)
- 1. Fruit-body club-shaped or coral-like Calocera
- Fruit-body top-shaped or with irregular bumps [2]
- 2. Fruit-body top-shaped Femsjonia
- Fruit-body cushion- or brain-like, or with irregular bumps Dacrymyces
Dacrymyces stillatus Nees ex Fries
Fruit-body: 3-6 mm.
Description:
Fruit-body: cushion or brain-like, often irregular, lacking any evidence of stem, yellow or orange, gelatinous, covered entirely by spore-bearing tissue.
Spore-print: yellowish.