The biggest flush of witch's butter this branch has produced yet! The bit of rain we got this morning has worked its wonders, I'll have plenty more to share.
witches' butter (AKA yellow brain, golden jelly fungus, or yellow trembler) is a jelly fungus in the family tremellaceae. it has been recorded on every continent - except antarctica. it grows in mesic to wet habitats on tree branches !!
the big question : can i bite it??
some sources say it is edible, but flavourless. :-)
t. mesenterica description :
"the fruit body has an irregular shape, & usually breaks through the bark of dead branches. it is up to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) broad & 2.5 to 5.0 cm (1.0 to 2.0 in) high, rounded to variously lobed or brain-like in appearance. the fruit body is gelatin-like but tough when wet, & hard when dry. the surface is usually smooth, the lobes translucent, deep yellow or bright yellow-orange, fading to pale yellow, rarely unpigmented & white or colorless. the fruit bodies dry to a dark reddish or orange. the spores, viewed in mass, are whitish or pale yellow."