365 Urban Species. #073: Witch's Butter

[urbpan]

Urban species #073: Witch's butter Tremella mesenterica



Witch's butter is a striking fungus that always elicits a reaction. That reaction is not always positive ("eww!") but I think it deserves a closer look. Get close so that you can see that light is passing through it, see that it is a genuinely translucent organism, like a jellyfish. Touch it (go on, don't be a baby!) and feel that it's not gooey, but a firm gel. Now would be a good time for me to tell you that its scientific name translates to "trembling middle intestine."

Of course, what we can see is not the entire organism. The orange jelly part is the spore-producing body of a much larger, but unseen fungus. Most of the creature is invisible, feeding on the mycelium of other fungi. In fact all members of the Tremella genus are parasitic on fungi in the genera Peniophora and Stereum. Since these are wood-digesting fungi, witch's butter is always found on dead wood. You can find witch's butter at almost any time of the year, but it prefers cool wet days in early spring and early fall.








(photo by cottonmanifesto)

Comments

[droserary.livejournal.com]

Touch it (go on, don't be a baby!) and feel that it's not gooey, but a firm gel. Now would be a good time for me to tell you that its scientific name translates to "trembling middle intestine."

That's perfection in the use of language. Definitely made me smirk!

[ankhanu.livejournal.com]

Always wondered what that was called.

I also have to agree with droserary's comment :) I also have to say that it has a very interesting texture to touch.

[phlogiston-5.livejournal.com]

Neat one. I'm going to have to look for that one during my travels.

[anais2.livejournal.com]

I so envy you two, and your knowledge of fungi. I'm so tempted to print these entries out, in color, for future reference!

[harrietbrown.livejournal.com]

Intestinal or not, it looks pretty. Perhaps I have a strange sense of beauty.

BTW, thanks urbpan for transcribing my voice past about the Apple Store. It was pretty funny reading it back with all my mumblings intact ("it was like, ya know, uh ...") Good job! I wasn't crazy about the product. I couldn't see where it was so different from Microsoft and the computers I tried out had slow cursors. I like my HP Pavilion Laptop. It's fast.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty too.

Apple is a religion, not a product line. I married in to the religion, so while I'm a member, I have some perspective about it. Can't we all just get along?

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

the computers I tried out had slow cursors

That's a system preference - you can change the cursor speed to whatever you like (I like mine fast too).

[harrietbrown.livejournal.com]

I guess I'll have to look into it more closely. I admit I'm intrigued, I've heard really good things about Apple. Sounds like another trip to the Mall is in order!

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

As with anything, there's a learning curve. If my dad can figure out his powerbook, you should be able to figure out any mac that's thrown at ya. :)

[nevers.livejournal.com]

psst, are you tabling at the boston zine fair this weekend?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Sorry, no. When I found out about it, I didn't have time to put a zine together, and I don't have enough back issues to make it worthwhile.

[turil.livejournal.com]

D'oh! I knew there was something else I was supposed to do last weekend (other than the Boston Bike Show)...

Oh, well.

[zalice.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, yummy. I love how they smell. They feel kind of gross, though. :) There is a ton of Tremella along the trees by the little stream in the Arnold Arboretum, for some reason.