Fungus · GBIF taxon 5249287
Wood Ear Fungus
Auricularia corneaAlso known as Cloud Ear, Wood Ear, Hairy Rubber Cup, Black Fungus
Wood ear fungus forms cup- or ear-shaped, rubbery fruiting bodies that colonize decaying hardwood logs in humid forest regions. These saprotrophic fungi dry to a brittle shell during droughts and revive quickly following rainfall. Their upper surfaces feature a fine layer of tiny pale hairs that give them a distinct velvety sheen.
FungusSaprotrophicGelatinous
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decomposing wood (Saprotrophic)
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Fungus beetles
ThreatsDeforestation and loss of mature broadleaf forest habitats
HabitatsSubtropical and tropical forests, broadleaf woodlands
Life spanFruiting body persists several months
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyAuriculariaceae
- SpeciesAuricularia cornea
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild fungi have toxic look-alikes; never ingest wild mushrooms based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Habitat Location: Look for rubbery, cup-shaped caps growing on decaying hardwood logs in damp forests.
- Seasonal Resilience: Observe how shriveled, dry specimens swell back into soft cups following rain.
Ecological Competitor (c) sugarsnap_t, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by sugarsnap_t · cc-by
Close Relative (c) pinonbistro, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by pinonbistro · cc-by-sa
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