The
Auriculariales are an
order of
fungi in the
class Agaricomycetes. Species within the order were formerly referred to the "
heterobasidiomycetes" or "jelly fungi", since many have gelatinous
basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that produce spores on septate
basidia. Around 200 species are known worldwide, placed in six or more
families, though the status of these families is currently uncertain. All species in the Auriculariales are believed to be
saprotrophic, most growing on dead wood. Fruit bodies of several
Auricularia species are cultivated for food on a commercial scale, especially in China.
