Neobulgaria pura
Description
Neobulgaria pura is a type of mushroom that is commonly found in mainland Europe. It grows on fallen branches of broadleaf hardwood trees, especially Beech trees. These mushrooms are shaped like cups and are jelly-like in texture. They often grow together in clusters on dead hardwood with bark, especially on Beech trees. Each mushroom can be up to 1.97 inches (5 cm) in size and is pale pink and somewhat transparent. The edges of the cups are white, especially in young mushrooms. The inside is smooth, and the outside is grainy. The spores are white, elliptical, colorless, smooth, and measure 7.5 - 9 x 3.5 - 4.5 µm.
You can find it in both summer and winter. Its appearance is quite distinctive, so it's unlikely to be confused with other mushrooms. There's a darker variety called var. foliacea, which has brain-like fruiting bodies, but its microscopic characteristics are the same as the common variety.
Common names: Beech Jellydisc, German (Gemeiner Buchenkreisling, Blassrötlicher Gallertbecher, Buchen-Gallerkreisling).
Mushroom Identification
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Fruiting Bodies
0.39 to 1.97 inches (1 to 5 cm), first conical, later disc-shaped, saucer-shaped, clustered in small groups. The hymenial layer is smooth, whitish-pink, whitish-purple-pink, located on the inner surface of the disc.
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Asci
70-95 * 8 microns, 8 spores. Spores 7.5-9 * 3.5-4.5 microns, elliptical in shape, with 2 drops of oil, colorless.
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Flesh
The flesh is elastic, gelatinous.
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Spores
White (6.5-9 x 3-4.5 µm).
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Habitat
Dead branches and trunks of hardwood, preferably copper beech, inhabited by late autumn decomposers.
Look-Alikes
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Similar in shape, but black or dark brown in color.
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Ascotremella faginea
Confined to deciduous forests and is distinguished by longitudinally striped spores and larger fruiting bodies.
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Fruiting bodies are of red shades, spores are cylindrical, and in a mature state, they exhibit a septum.
History
This mushroom, called Neobulgaria pura, was first described by Persoon and later confirmed by Elias Magnus Fries in 1822. In 1921, Austrian mycologist Franz Petrak gave it its current scientific name.
The name Neobulgaria might refer to its leathery appearance, possibly resembling a wine pouch called a 'bulgar.' Alternatively, if you have other name suggestions, they're welcome! As for 'pura,' it's a Latin word meaning 'pure' or 'clean.'
Synonyms
Ascocoryne microspora (Ellis & Everhart) Korf (1971), Phytologia, 21(4), p. 202
Ascotremella turbinata Seaver (1930), Mycologia, 22(2), p. 53
Bulgaria lilacea (Quélet) Quélet (1886), Enchiridion fungorum in Europa media et praesertim in Gallia vigentium, p. 323
Bulgaria pura (Persoon) Fries (1822), Systema mycologicum, 2(1), p. 168
Burcardia pura (Persoon) Kuntze (1891), Revisio generum plantarum, 2, p. 845
Burckhardia pura (Pers.) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. (Leipzig) 2: 845 (1891)
Coryne bresadolae Rehm, 1915
Coryne foliacea Bres., in Strasser, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien 55(9-10): 611 (1905)
Coryne microspora Ellis & Everhart (1897), Bulletin of the Torrey botanical Club, 24(6), p. 282
Coryne violacea (Hedwig) Boudier (1885), Bulletin de la Société mycologique de France, 1(1), p. 113
Craterocolla pura (Pers.) Sacc., Syll. fung. (Abellini) 6: 779 (1888)
Cudonia violacea (Hedwig) Quélet (1886), Enchiridion fungorum in Europa media et praesertim in Gallia vigentium, p. 267
Helotium janthinum (Fries) Fries (1849), Summa vegetabilium Scandinaviae, 2, p. 355
Helotium violascens (Rehm) Boud., Hist. Class. Discom. Eur. (Paris): 112 (1907)
Neobulgaria foliacea (Bres.) Dennis, Mycol. Pap. 62: 166 (1956)
Neobulgaria pura var. foliacea (Bres.) Dennis & Gamundí, in Gamundí & Dennis, Darwiniana 15: 19 (1969)
Octospora violacea Hedwig (1789), Descripto et adumbratio microscopico analytica muscorum frondorosum, 2, p. 27, tab. 8, fig. a
Ombrophila lilacea (Quélet) Saccardo (1889), Sylloge fungorum omnium hucusque cognitorum, 8, p. 614
Ombrophila microspora (Ellis & Everhart) Saccardo & P. Sydow (1899), Sylloge fungorum omnium hucusque cognitorum, 14, p. 802
Ombrophila pura (Pers.) Quél., Enchir. fung. (Paris): 230 (1886)
Ombrophila violacea (Hedwig) P. Karsten (1885), Acta societatis pro fauna et flora fennica, 2(6), p. 140
Ombrophila violascens Rehm, Rabenh. Krypt.-Fl., Edn 2 (Leipzig) 1.3(lief. 34): 478 (1891)
Peziza janthina Fries (1822), Systema mycologicum, 2(1), p. 130
Peziza pura Persoon (1796), Observationes mycologicae seu descriptiones tam novorum quam notabilium fungorum, 1, p. 40 (Basionyme) Sanctionnement : Fries (1822)
Peziza violacea (Hedwig) J.F. Gmelin (1792), Systema naturae, Edn 13, 2, p. 1452 (nom. illegit.)
Phialea janthina (Persoon) Gillet (1880), Champignons de France, les discomycètes, p. 102
Phialea lilacea Quélet (1880), Grevillea, 8(47), p. 116
Tremella saccharina var. foliacea (Bres.) Bref.
Photo sources:
Photo 1 - Author: Björn S... (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo 2 - Author: Holger Krisp (CC BY 3.0)
Photo 3 - Author: Christian Grenier (Public Domain)
Photo 4 - Author: Christian Grenier (Public Domain)
Photo 5 - Author: Björn S... (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Shape: Cup FungiJelly Fungi