Hare’s Ear
(Otidea onotica)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | not listed |
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| NatureServe | NNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Hare’s Ear is a medium-sized, lopsided, ear-like, cup fungus. It occurs throughout Europe and in parts of North America. In the United States it occurs from the northeast to the upper Midwest and on the West Coast. It is not common in Minnesota. It appears from spring to early fall, usually clustered, occasionally alone or scattered, in deciduous and mixed woodlands. It grows on the ground under hardwood and coniferous trees. It obtains its nutrients from decaying plant matter (saprobic). The fruiting body is 2¾″ to 4″ (5 to 10 cm) long, 1½″ to 2⅜″ (4 to 6 cm) wide, and spoon-shaped, ear-shaped, or cup-shaped. There are 46 species of Otidea. Some are said to be “ear-like”, erect and elongated with one side open, like a rabbit’s ear, while others are “truncated”, cup-like. However, in practice this character is difficult to determine. Otidea onotica is said to be one of the ear-like species. Like all Otideas, the cup is split down one side. The margins are rolled inward at first but flatten at maturity. The inner (fertile) surface is smooth and brownish-yellow to orange or orangish-buff. It often has a pinkish or rosy tint when fresh. The outer surface is slightly rough to the touch and is colored the same but without the pinkish or rosy shade. There is sometimes a whitish, hairy or downy, up to ⅜″ (1 cm) long stalk at the base. The spore print is white. The flesh is yellowish, thin, and brittle. Some sources say that it is edible, others that it is inedible. |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat and Hosts |
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Woodlands |
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Ecology |
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Season |
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Spring to early fall |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 11/10/2021 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Not common in Minnesota |
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Taxonomy |
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| Kingdom | Fungi (fungi) | ||
| Subkingdom | Dikarya | ||
| Phylum | Ascomycota (sac fungi) | ||
| Subphylum | Pezizomycotina | ||
| Class | Pezizomycetes | ||
| Subclass | Pezizomycetidae | ||
Order |
Pezizales | ||
Family |
Pyronemataceae | ||
Genus |
Otidea | ||
Synonyms |
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Aleuria onotica Peziza onotica Pseudotis abietina Scodellina onotica |
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Common Names |
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Donkey Ears Donkey’s Ear Hare’s Ear Orange Otidea |
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Glossary
Saprobic
A term often used for saprotrophic fungi. Referring to fungi that obtain their nutrients from decayed organic matter.
Family Shuffle
As currently circumscribed, the family Pyronemataceae contains about 500 species in 75 genera, about half of all species in the order Pezizales. This large family has long been known to be problematic, and several attempts have been made to restrict it.
In 1968 (Rifai) the family Otideaceae was erected to include five genera of Pezizales, including Otidea.
In 1972 (Korf) Otideaceae and two other families were folded into a single large family Pyronemataceae.
In 1989 (Kimbrough) the family Otideaceae was resurected.
A molecular phylogenetic study published in 1997 (Landvik et al.) suggested the genera in Otideaceae belonged in Pyronemataceae, and in 2006 (Eriksson) genera formerly in Otideaceae were moved to Pyronemataceae.
A phylogenetic study published in 2007 (Perry) showed that Pyronemataceae as then circumscribed was not composed only of a single common ancestor and all of its descendants – it was not monophyletic – and is therefore invalid.
Today (2021) the problem remains unresolved. Many taxonomists place the genus Otidea in the family Otideaceae. Most, including Index Fungorum, continue to place it in Pyronemataceae.
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Luciearl |
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Other Videos |
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| Uchówka ośla (Otidea onotica) Pieprznik |
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About
Sep 18, 2021 |
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| Otidea onotica (Отидея ослиная, Ослиное ухо), September 9, 2021 Грибы БАК - Mushrooms of the LHC |
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About
Oct 2, 2021 Отидея ослиная, Ослиное ухо, 9 сентября 2021 года Google Translate: Otidea donkey, Donkey ear, September 9, 2021 |
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| P1000894 OTIDEA ONOTICA Sandro Lenzi |
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About
Oct 11, 2010 un meraviglioso mare di verde smeraldo Anche PEZIZA,un piccolo e simpatico funghetto edule che con il suo bel color giallo-ocra e la sua forma ad orecchietta si fà notare in autunno in boschi di conifere. |
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| RASEJAVANJE SPORA OTIDEA ONOTICA (MAGAREĆE UVO) MIKOLOŠKO DRUŠTVO SRBIJE |
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About
Oct 31, 2019 RASEJAVANJE SPORA OTIDEA ONOTICA (MAGAREĆE UVO) |
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Visitor Sightings |
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| Luciearl 10/14/2021 |
Location: Fairview Twp, Cass County |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 11/10/2021
Last Updated: