Leafy Brain

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Leafy Brain is a common and widespread fungus. It occurs in Europe, Australia, Japan, Central America, and North America. In the United States it is most common east of the Great Plains and west of the Rocky Mountains. It is less common in Minnesota where it is at the western extent of its eastern range. It is found alone or scattered in coniferous and mixed forests and woodlands. It grows on on stumps, logs, fallen branches, and dead but still attached branches of conifers. It is parasitic on bracket fungi in the genus Stereum, including False Turkey Tail, Hairy Curtain Crust, and Crowded Parchment. It grows on the hidden basal threads (hyphae) of the fungus.

The fruiting body is a 1½″ to 8″ (4 to 20 cm) long, ¾″ to 2¾″ (2 to 7 cm) high, loosely packed mass of wavy or leaf-like lobes. It appears seaweed-like, never cup-like or ear-like. Individual lobes are ¾″ to 2″ (2 to 5 cm) wide, and 1⁄32″ to 1⁄16″ (1 to 2 mm) thick. They are usually light to dark brown, sometimes purplish-brown or reddish-brown. They are gelatinous and pliable when fresh, hard when dry. The surface is hairless and smooth, becoming wrinkled toward the base. There is no stalk. The spore print is white. The flesh is edible but watery and tasteless.

Coniferous and mixed forests and woodlands

Stereum fungi

Fall

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30.

Common and widespread

This species was originally known as Tremella foliacea. DNA research published in 2015 showed that it was not closely related to othwer Tremella and it was placed in the genus Phaeotremella. Further analysis showed that it was actually a complex of several closely related but genetically distinct species. The name Phaeotremella foliacea now refers just to the species that grows on conifers. Two species growing on hardwoods are now called Jelly Leaf (Phaeotremella frondosa) and Brown Witch’s Butter (Phaeotremella fimbriata).

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park