Dacryopinax spathularia
Encyclopedia
Dacryopinax spathularia (syn. Guepinia spathularia) is an edible jelly fungus. It is orange in color. In Chinese culture, it is called guihua er (桂花耳; literally "sweet osmanthus
ear," referring to its similarity in appearance to that flower). It is sometimes included in a vegetarian dish called Buddha's delight
.
The basionym
of this species is Merulius spathularius.
of Dacryopinax spathularia are spatula-shaped, usually 1 – tall and between 0.5–3 mm wide. The color is orange when fresh, but it darkens to orangish-red when dry. The spore deposit
is white. Its spores are ellipsoid, smooth-surfaced, hyaline
(translucent), and measure 7–10 by 3–4 μm
. It has forked, four-spored basidia that are 25–35 by 3–5 μm.
rugs. It is widely distributed in Asia, and also known from Hawaii
, Europe, and South America.
Sweet Osmanthus
Osmanthus fragrans is a species of Osmanthus native to Asia, from the Himalaya east through southern China and to Taiwan and to southern Japan...
ear," referring to its similarity in appearance to that flower). It is sometimes included in a vegetarian dish called Buddha's delight
Buddha's delight
Buddha's delight, often transliterated as Luóhàn zhāi, lo han jai, or lo hon jai, is a vegetarian dish well known in Chinese and Buddhist cuisine...
.
The basionym
Basionym
Basionym is a term used in botany, regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature...
of this species is Merulius spathularius.
Description
The fruit bodiesSporocarp (fungi)
In fungi, the sporocarp is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne...
of Dacryopinax spathularia are spatula-shaped, usually 1 – tall and between 0.5–3 mm wide. The color is orange when fresh, but it darkens to orangish-red when dry. The spore deposit
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
is white. Its spores are ellipsoid, smooth-surfaced, hyaline
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
(translucent), and measure 7–10 by 3–4 μm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
. It has forked, four-spored basidia that are 25–35 by 3–5 μm.
Habitat and distribution
A saprobic species, D. spathularia grows on rotting wood; it has even been reported to grow on polyesterPolyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
rugs. It is widely distributed in Asia, and also known from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Europe, and South America.