Oreja de Judas (Auricularia auricula-judae)

The edible Judas ear mushroom, Auricularia auricula-judae, is the best known fungus in this order. Its ear-shaped fruit bodies develop from mycelia on elder (Sambucus) and other woody plants. Basidiospores form on elongated basidia that are partitioned into four compartments by transverse septa. These form on the lower surface of the ‘ears’ and the spores are catapulted into the air beneath the fruit body. The fruit bodies have a rubbery texture and have been cultivated for centuries in Asia. Exidia glandulosa, witches’ butter, is another species in this order that forms black fruit bodies on decaying wood. Its basidia are divided lengthwise into four compartments.