About this fungus
Leafy Brain is a fungus in the Tremellaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A brown to reddish-brown mass of thin, folded gelatinous lobes on dead conifer wood, resembling crumpled leaves or seaweed.
What to check
First confirm conifer wood. This species parasitises Stereum sanguinolentum within the wood, although the host fruit bodies may be inconspicuous. The fruit body has many soft leaf-like folds and no cap, stem, gills or pores. Host and substrate are essential because similar broadleaf jellies now have different names.
Variation
Hydrated lobes are soft, translucent and brown to reddish-brown. In dry weather they shrink, harden and darken, then swell again after rain.
Lookalikes
Phaeotremella frondosa and Phaeotremella fimbriata occur on broadleaved wood with other Stereum hosts. They were historically included in Tremella foliacea and cannot be separated reliably from colour alone. Substrate, host fungus and sometimes microscopy or DNA are needed.
Habitat and range
Mycoparasitic on Stereum sanguinolentum on dead attached or fallen conifer branches and logs. Broadleaf records under the old name usually belong to other Phaeotremella species.
Food safety
Edibility is uncertain or disputed.