Dacryopinax spathularia (Schwein.) G.W. Martin

Fan-shaped jelly fungus

About plant names...

This fungus is a common North American native. Spathul- means “little spade” or “little blade,” a reference to its shape.

Identification: The fruiting bodies are less than ⅞" (2.5 cm) tall, growing in clusters or rows along cracks in decaying wood; often the wood has lost its bark. Each fruiting body has a curved fan-like shape, thin in cross-section and widening toward the top. They are translucent and bright yellow-orange in color, and are gelatinous to the touch.

Edibility: Edible. Used occasionally in Chinese cuisine. But these can be confused with inedible species, so don’t try them if you are not certain of their identity.

Online References:

Dacryopinax spathularia on AmericanMushrooms.com

Dacryopinax spathularia by Gary Emberger at Messiah College

Dacryopinax spathularia on the Mushroom Observer

Dacryopinax spathularia at Wisconsin Mushrooms

Dacryopinax spathularia on Wikimedia Commons

Dacryopinax spathularia at the Australian Government's Australian National Botanic Gardens

References:

Barron, George, Mushrooms of Northeast North America, Lone Pine Publishing, 1999, p. 103

9/26/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 9.9 cm) ID is uncertain

Dacryopinax spathularia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 13 Sep 2021.

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8/5/2018
≈ 6 × 5" (15 × 13 cm)

9/11/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 3 × 1¾" (8 × 4.9 cm)

11/6/2016 · Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 2½ × 1¾" (6.9 × 4.8 cm)

9/26/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 3 × 3" (8.3 × 7.8 cm) ID is uncertain

9/26/2011 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 2½ × 2½" (6.4 × 6.6 cm) ID is uncertain