All of these are found in the same location. Along with the yellow slime mold growing on Tree Ear jelly fungi.......I have found several types of fungi and mushrooms located on the Kansas Bluffs of the Missouri River....lots of rainfall. The first is a type of jelly...is this the Orange Jelly fungi? The second is a yellow slime mold (maybe) taking over a Tree Ear jelly fungi The third maybe a type of urn or polypore?
Photo #3 is interestingly mysterious. I'm staring at it wondering whether to think in terms of something young or something old. Can you tell what it is actually growing on, ground or wood? Something about the shape suggests a young Thelephora ... but I've really no clue. For photo #1, dyaknow whether it is growing on hardwood or conifer?
no.3 was approx. 4cm across....I've gone back 4 x's now to see it and it's not gotten any larger.....one nearby has aged (no larger) turning a grayish-brown and becoming more brittle. The consistancy of this one however is almost jelly-like? All were found on a rocky, muddy area of a trail-side on the bluffs. no.1 was definately a tree-limb to a hard-wood.......the actual wood was about 5inch diameter. sorry I can't be more specific of the wood but don't know my leaf-less dead trees. :o) It was located less then 4 feet from the slime mould as well.
Let me add another photo of another fungi that was located with photo no.3 After the hint this may be a type of Thelephora I went and started looking at images online........mostly all were in Swedish or other European languages so was unable to decifer some of the names.......BUT.......I did see one (name unkown still) of what I had previously thought was a type of coral fungi...just smaller....but now believe is another type of the Thelephora family as well? The 2nd image I added is just another view of the other type I'm trying to get an id to. This was another set right next to the whiter ones.
I've not had a chance to pursue the Thelphora-esque one, but the new photo appears to be a coral, more like a Clavulina type than a Ramaria type, but I know very little about the corals.
re the Orange Jelly Fungus: To the best of my knowledge, Tremellas grow on hardwoods and Dacrymyces on conifers, so my guess is that this is a Tremella species. Maybe Tremella mesenterica or something similar. The Guepiniopsis-es and Exidias in my region don't look like this at all, so those don't seem to be good possibilities. You can sometimes narrow down the species by looking to see what fungus (or similar) organism the jelly is parasitizing, such as a a small bracket fungus: Do you see any other fungal fruiting bodies on the branch near this jelly?
This particular jelly had no other growths around it on the actual wood? but on the ground and all around were several other varieties of fungi/mushrooms. Nearby and all along this trail are TONS of the jelly Tremella fuciformis. I have several very beautiful images of some very pure specimins. However? This orange jelly is completely different looking from what I've seen in Tennessee.......it is darker then the 'witch's butter'.....and didn't grow as much thick? as it did outwardly plentiful. (not sure if that made sence...) The most prolific fungus in this area was the Auricularia auricula-judae that the slime-mould was growing on.
