Jelly ear.
Elder
Ash, beech, maple, oak, plane, and other broadleaved species.
Found across the entire structure of the standing tree. Also found on stumps.
Annual . Jelly-like / rubbery. Begins as a small button. Develops into an ear-like form that is red-brown to tan to fleshy-pink. Very thin. Sometimes with superficial ‘veins’ and covered with a greyish down. Desiccates to a wrinkled mass that is a dark red-brown to purple.
None.
Attributed to a selective white rot of the wood. Usually considered saprotrophic though may act as a weak parasite. Considered – but not conclusively proven – to be endophytic . Presence indicative of dysfunction, where branch is still alive – often localised dysfunction, when found on small dead stubs and on pruning wounds. Presence at the stem base can signal dysfunction and host tree decline. May act as an indicator of Massaria-infected branches on plane.