Purple Jellydisc

not listed

not listed

not listed

Purple Jellydisc is a widespread and common fungus. It occurs in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. In North America it occurs from Maine to Minnesota, south to Illinois and Georgia, on the West Coast, and in adjacent Canadian provinces. It is uncommon in Minnesota, where it is at the western edge of its range. It is found in the fall grouped or clustered in deciduous forests and woodlands on well-rotted hardwood stumps and logs. It obtains its nutrients from rotting wood (saprobic).

When young, Purple Jellydisc is a lumpy, irregular, gelatinous, purple or wine-red mass up to 8″ (20 cm) across. In this, the anamorphic stage, it reproduces asexually and does not produce spores. It appears brain-like and looks like a jelly fungus. As it ages the lobes flatten out into 3 ⁄16″ to ⅞″ (5 to 22 mm) wide disc-shaped or cup-shaped fruiting bodies. When mature, it looks like a disc fungus. The upper surface is more or less hairless, the under surface is covered with short straight hairs (fuzzy). There is no stem but there is sometimes a short, poorly-defined, stem-like base. In this, the teleomorphic stage, it reproduces sexually and produces spores.

The flesh is odorless and the taste is not distinctive. It is not considered edible.

Some authors claim that Ascocoryne cylichnium is more often disc-like than Ascocoryne sarcoides. Most authors agree that the two species can only be differentiated with certainty by examining the spores microscopically. Both species have been reported in Minnesota.

Deciduous forests and woodlands

Late summer and fall

Sources

4, 7, 24, 26, 29, 30, 77.

Uncommon in Minnesota

Until 1967 this species was classified as Coryne sarcoides.

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Location: Fairview Twp/Cass County