jelly ear fungus auricularia auricula judae sheltering yellow spotted millipede pix sanjiv shukla

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Jelly ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae) sheltering Yellow-spotted millipede : (pix Sanjiv Shukla)

Jelly ear (Auricularia auricula-judae), also known as Jew's ear, is a species of fungus in the order Auriculariales. Its Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are brown, gelatinous, and have a noticeably ear-like shape. They grow on wood, especially elder. The specific epithet is derived from the belief that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from an elder tree. This fungus was used in folk medicine as recently as the 19th century. It is edible, but not widely consumed.