Auricularia angiospermarum (wood ear or tree ear) is a species of fungus in the family Auriculariaceae. Basidiocarps (fruitbodies) are gelatinous, ear-like, and grow on dead wood of broadleaf trees. It is a North American species and was formerly confused with Auricularia auricula-judae which is confined to Europe.
| Auricularia angiospermarum | |
|---|---|
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| Auricularia angiospermarum on dead broadleaf tree, Missouri | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Auriculariales |
| Family: | Auriculariaceae |
| Genus: | Auricularia |
| Species: | A. angiospermarum
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| Binomial name | |
| Auricularia angiospermarum Y.C. Dai, F. Wu & D.W. Li (2015)
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Taxonomy
editThe species was originally described in 2015 from Connecticut on a fallen oak trunk. It had previously been referred to Auricularia americana 'deciduous unit',[1] but additional molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has shown that Auricularia angiospermarum is a distinct species.[2][3]
Description
editAuricularia angiospermarum forms thin, brown, rubbery-gelatinous fruit bodies that are ear-shaped and up to 80 mm (3.1 in) across and 3 mm (0.12 in) thick. The fruitbodies occur singly or in clusters. The upper surface is finely pilose. The spore-bearing underside is smooth.[3]
Microscopic characters
editThe microscopic characters are typical of the genus Auricularia. The basidia are tubular, laterally septate, 45–65 × 3.5–5 μm. The spores are allantoid (sausage-shaped), 13–15 × 5–5.5 μm.[3]
Similar species
editIn North America, Auricularia americana is almost identical but grows on conifer wood.[2][3] On wood of broadleaf trees, Auricularia fuscosuccinea occurs in southern North America and typically has cinnamon-brown to purplish-brown fruitbodies.[1] Auricularia nigricans is also southern, but has a densely pilose upper surface.[1]
Habitat and distribution
editAuricularia angiospermarum is a wood-rotting species, typically found on dead attached or fallen wood of broadleaf trees. It is widely distributed in North America, but is not currently known elsewhere.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c Looney, B. (2013). "Systematics of the genus Auricularia with an emphasis on species from the southeastern United States". North American Fungi. doi:10.2509/naf2013.008.006. ISSN 1937-786X.
- ^ a b Wu F, Yuan Y, He S, Bandara AR, Hyde KD, Malysheva VF, Li D, Dai Y (2015). "Global diversity and taxonomy of the Auricularia auricula-judae complex (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota)". Mycological Progress. 14 (10). doi:10.1007/s11557-015-1113-4. S2CID 16991202.
- ^ a b c d e Wu F, Tohtirjap A, Fan L, Zhou L, Alvarenga RL, Gibertoni TB, Dai Y (2021). "Global diversity and updated phylogeny of Auricularia (Auriculariales, Basidiomycota)". Journal of Fungi. 7 (11): 933. doi:10.3390/jof7110933. PMC 8625027. PMID 34829220.