Ran into this whilst digging up Smilax. It's rubbery, translucent and kinda looks like raisins. I've never seen this before. Thanks for looking!

I took these last week but forgot ..wanted to ask if these are the precursers of the green lichen I see. It looks like same stuff as you posted.

Xeramtheum said:Ran into this whilst digging up Smilax. It's rubbery, translucent and kinda looks like raisins. I've never seen this before. Thanks for looking!

Look at Jelly Ear fungus and see if it is close.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

It's not smooth like the jelly ear fungus but mine might be older.

It does resemble the Jelly Ear, click on the first photo on right at this page to enlarge for comparison: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/...

More jelly fungus for comparison:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/...
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/...

I looked at all the links and they do look a bit similar, but I don't see anything that looks raisiny like what I have and the growth pattern on the other two links are totally different. I may be wrong and perhaps mine is just way older or more desiccated.

A photo of the underside would help. I think the ID is correct and your right that yours are old. Is the tree they were on dead or decayed?

It was a dead branch.

So does this mean that trees with this growth are dying?
I had hoped this was a phase of the green lichen we see on healthy trees

So does this mean that trees with this growth are dying?
I had hoped this was just a phase of the green lichen we see on healthy trees

I'm still not sure .. once Greene & Lynn gave me the key word 'jelly', I did a search and came up with Exidia recisa, Jelly Roll Fungus. I can't see that it's a synonym for Auricularia auricula-judae. It's a toss up.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/...

Rosie I don't think this has anything to do with lichen:

A lichen is not a single organism, but the result of a partnership (mutualistic symbiosis) between a fungus and an alga or cyanobacteria. Some lichens are formed of three or more partners. The body of a lichen consists of fungal filaments (hyphae) surrounding cells of green algae and/or blue-green cyanobacteria. The basis of the mutualistic symbiosis in lichens is similar to the mycorrhizal partnership between some species of fungi and the roots of most plants. The lichen fungus provides its partner(s) a benefit (protection) and gains nutrients in return.

http://www.herbarium.usu.edu/f...

Thank you. I better go get close to those trees..one could pose a problem if it dies. The others in the woods can't reach anything if falls.

Thank you

The fungus on your dead branch is almost certainly jelly ear. I think the fungi on the tree trunk looks more like the early stages of a bracket type. The jelly ear would dessicate as it ages.

Thanks to everyone!

It looks more like Exidia recisa to me, but I couldn't be certain.

http://www.indianamushrooms.co...

Do you know what tree the branch came from?

It's also known as Willow Brain Fungus.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

It's the only one which fits amongst the jelly fungus on mushroomexpert ..

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/...

kniphofia said:The fungus on your dead branch is almost certainly jelly ear. I think the fungi on the tree trunk looks more like the early stages of a bracket type. The jelly ear would desucate as it ages.

And what would I use to learn
"Bracket type fungus on trees" ??
If there is something to do..I will do it... If not, I will take those down before they fall on someone.

I agree with you Janet, Exidia recisa. The other is just too smooth. I think the branch is from an Oak.