Jelly lugs

The dead men's fingers that I photographed the other day have now  been joined by what look like the ears, or lugs as they say hereabouts, of the dead men. The "ears"  are the fruiting bodies of another fungus Auricularia auricula-judae, commonly known as jelly ears, that makes it living by breaking down dead wood.

The common name Jelly ears is a rather recent invention. In the politically less sensitive past they were known as Jew's ears, the clue being in the scientific name; Auricula being the Latin word for ear and Judae referring to Judas, the Jew who it is said to have betrayed Jesus. The association with Judas Iscariot comes from its habit of growing on dead elder trees Sambucus nigra, the tree on which Judas is traditionally thought to have hung himself. Given that the elder is not native to the Palestine region, this story may not be entirely accurate!