They do not grow in dense tufts.Īuricularia auricula-judae grows upon the wood of deciduous trees and shrubs, favouring elder. They are hyaline, lack a central strand and have rounded tips. Hairs on the fruit body are from 85 to 100 μm in length, and 5 to 6 μm in diameter. Spores smooth, hyaline, reniform to allantoid, 14-18 Χ 6-8μm, guttulate. Basidia 60-72x 4-7.5μm sterigmata lateral, well developed, 3-4.5μm long. The species has elongated cylindrical basidia with three transverse septa (internal cross-walls dividing the hyphae). The spores can sometimes be seen in a whitish mass on the underside of the fruit body. The spores themselves are white, cream or yellowish, and are hyaline. auricula-judae are long and sausage shaped, ranging in size from 16 to 18 micrometres (μm) long by 6 to 8 μm thick. It is sometimes wrinkled, again with folds and wrinkles, and may have 'veins', making it appear even more ear-like. The inner surface is a lighter grey-brown in colour and smooth. It can be smooth, as is typical of younger specimens, or undulating with folds and wrinkles. The outer surface is a bright reddish-tan-brown with a purplish hint, often covered in tiny, downy hairs of a grey colour. The species has a tough, gelatinous, elastic texture when fresh, but it dries hard and brittle. It is normally attached to the substrate laterally and sometimes by a very short stalk. It is distinctively shaped, typically being reminiscent of a floppy ear, though the fruit bodies can also be cup-shaped. auricula-judae is normally 3 to 8 centimetres (1.2 to 3.1 in) across, but can be as much as 12 centimetres (4.7 in).

Auricularia auricula