Witches’ Butter

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Witches’ Butter is a very common and widespread jelly fungus. It occurs worldwide on every continent except Antarctica. In the United States it occurs east of the Great Plains and west of the Rocky Mountains, and is mostly absent in between. It obtains its nutrients by parasitizing wood-rotting crust fungi in the genus Peniophora. It occurs singly or in groups on logs, branches, and twigs of oaks and other hardwoods. The wood on which it is found may be fallen or still on the tree but is always dead and usually has the bark still attached.

When young and fresh the fruiting body is one or more stemless, gelatinous but tough, ¾″ to 4″ wide, 1″ to 2″ in height lobes and folds. The lobes are translucent, shiny, and pale orangish-yellow to bright yellowish-orange. When clustered, they fuse together and resemble an exposed brain. They are mostly water. In wet conditions they swell and lose shape, looking like a dollop of melting butter. When they begin to dry they become darker orange, more opaque, and smaller. In dry conditions they become dark orange, shriveled up, hard, and brittle. Sometimes they collapse into an inconspicuous film when they dry, but will revive with the next wet weather.

It is not edible. It is not poisonous but cooking it will release the water and leave little to eat.

Leafy Brain (Phaeotremella foliacea) forms a cluster of light to dark brown or purplish brown, leaf-like lobes.

Golden Ear (Tremella aurantia) lobes are thicker and have a dull, matte finish. They are not shiny. They do not shrivel when dried. Its host is Hairy Curtain Crust (Stereum hirsutum), a bracket fungus.

Orange Jelly Fungus (Dacrymyces palmatus) is slightly smaller and more orange. It is white at the base where it attaches to the wood. It grows only on conifers.

White Coral Jelly Fungus (Tremella reticulata) is white. Older specimens are clusters of finger-like branches. It tends to grow on the ground.

Logs, fallen or still attached but dead branches and twigs, with bark still attached.

Oaks and other hardwoods

Year-round, especially late fall, during prolonged wet periods

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30.

Very common and widespread

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Location: Cass County

Location: Remer Township, Cass County