Leotia lubrica

Green Yellow gelatinous cap

The Green-yellow gelatinous cap ( Leotia lubrica ) is a fungus from the order of Helotiales. As Saprobiont feeds this fungus from dead wood of dead deciduous and coniferous trees.

Features

Macroscopic properties

The fungi are clearly stalked abruptly with a remote convex head with eingebogenem, scalloped edge, on top of which the hymenium is formed and which is between 0.5 and 4.0 cm wide. The color varies from yellowish - green to olive - brown, the underside is lighter. Typical is the gelatinous consistency. The head feels sticky - slippery in damp weather to. The meat is of gelatinous consistency and translucent.

The stem is 2-8 cm long, the diameter is 3-10 mm, downwards it is slightly thickened. The stem surface is either smooth or feels scabby by tiny grains on the skin, in damp weather it is slimy. In the color of the stem is similar to the hat, but is usually lighter and more yellow. The inside of the handle is hollow and filled with a slimy gel.

Microscopic properties

The 16-25 × 4-6 micron sized spores are hyaline, smooth, elongated crescent- shaped and have four to seven septa. The asci are cylindrical - clavate and 140-160 × 8-10 microns in size. The paraphyses are branched and partially ply.

Ecology and occurrence

The Green-yellow gelatinous cap occurs both under coniferous and deciduous trees and dead wood decomposes. The fruiting bodies are formed from late spring to autumn and grow partly underground, they were discovered already at sand dunes.

The presence extends across North America as well as Central Europe.

Importance

The Green-yellow gelatinous cap was once considered inedible. Meanwhile, the toxin was demonstrated monomethylhydrazine (5 mg / kg) in the fungus. Thus the species is at least suspicious poison.