365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Dacrymyces Palmatus
Day 49: It can be difficult to distinguish a specimen of Dacrymyces palmatus (Orange Jelly, above) from Tremella mesenterica (Witches' Butter) without a microscope, but if you are in the field, your best course of action is to examine the substrate on which they are growing. Dacrymyces grows on rotting conifer wood, Tremella on that of hardwoods (rarely on conifer). As Dacrymyces dry out, they tend to collapse in on themselves and deteriorate. On the other hand, Tremella shrinks and hardens. Neither species is poisonous, but neither are they considered edible (a term which implies some desirability as a food).
Labels:
Dacrymyces palmatus,
substrate,
T Woods
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