Leafy Brain

(Phaeotremella foliacea)

Conservation Status
Leafy Brain
Photo by Kirk Nelson
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

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 132 to 116 (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.

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat and Hosts
 
 

Coniferous and mixed forests and woodlands

Stereum fungi

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Season

 
 

Fall

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 24, 26, 29, 30.

 
  6/2/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common and widespread

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Fungi (fungi)  
  Subkingdom Dikarya  
  Phylum Basidiomycota (club fungi)  
  Subphylum Agaricomycotina (jelly fungi, yeasts, and mushrooms)  
  Class Tremellomycetes  
 

Order

Tremellales  
 

Family

Phaeotremellaceae  
 

Genus

Phaeotremella  
       
 

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).

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Tremella foliacea

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Leafy Brain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Hypha

A thread-like cell of a fungus that is the main mode of vegetative growth: the basic structural unit of a multicellular fungus. Plural: hyphae. Collectively, the hyphae of a fungus is the mycelium.

 

Parasitic

Obtaining nutrients from another living organism.

 
 
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Kirk Nelson

 
    Leafy Brain      
           
 
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slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  Leafy Brain Fungus - Tremella foliacea
Botany - Green Tamil
 
   
 
About

Dec 11, 2021

Tremella foliacea - Leafy brain Fungus, producing brownish, frondose, gelatinous basidiocarps. They are grow on dead attached and recently fallen branches of broadleaf trees and conifers. Commonly known as leafy brain, jelly leaf, and brown witch's butter. The species is said to be edible.

The epithet "foliacea" means "leafy", with reference to the shape of the fruit bodies.

 
  Leafy Brain Jelly Fungus
Lori Jackson
 
   
 
About

Nov 23, 2020

surprise on end of branch🤓

 

 

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  Kirk Nelson
8/23/2020

Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Leafy Brain  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

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Created: 9/19/2020

Last Updated:

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