Yellow brain fungus (*Tremella mesenterica*) forming a bright yellow gelatinous growth.

Yellow brain fungus (*Tremella mesenterica*) on dead wood.

Creator: Jakub Hałun

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Species record

Yellow Brain Fungus

Tremella mesenterica

Explore the Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Yellow brain fungus produces bright yellow, gelatinous fruiting bodies on dead wood. It is a parasite of other wood-inhabiting fungi and appears after damp weather.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Fungi
  2. Phylum: Basidiomycota
  3. Class: Tremellomycetes
  4. Order: Tremellales
  5. Family: Tremellaceae
  6. Genus: Tremella
  7. Species: Tremella mesenterica

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
dead hardwood, woodland, moist forest
Selected regions
Asia, Europe, North America
Selected countries
Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, United States

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • Yellow brain fungus forms an irregular orange gelatinous mass; its lobes harden as it dries.
  • Yellow brain fungus is a parasite of other fungi that grow on dead wood.

More images

Yellow brain fungus (*Tremella mesenterica*) growing on black alder (*Alnus glutinosa*) at Aird’s Meadow.

Yellow brain fungus (*Tremella mesenterica*) on black alder, showing its gelatinous fruiting body in context.

Creator: Rosser1954

Licence: CC BY 4.0

View image source

Sources and attribution