Image from Wikipedia
Image from Wikipedia
Bulgaria inquinans, commonly known as black jelly
drops, is classified in Leotiomycetes (Pezizomycotina) and is
widely distributed in North America and Europe. The fruiting body
appears in late summer and fall on hardwood logs often as dense
masses in lines along the bark of felled Oak, Beech and Chestnut
trees. It appears cup or top-shaped at first, becoming flattened or
convex - 1-5 cm across. The outer surface is brown to black, finely
to prominently hairy or scaly which usually gets smoother and
blacker with age. Older specimens are quite flabby and gelatinous,
but younger specimens have more of a cup fungus appearance. The
stem is absent or merely a pinched-off extension.
The Bulgaria inquinans genome was sequenced as part of
the 1000 fungal
genomes project.
