FOTD #111 : yellow earth tongue! (spathularia flavida)

yellow earth tongue, the yellow fan, or the fairy fan is a saprotrophic fungus in the family cudoniaceae :-) they often grow in ring or arc-like patterns. it has been documented in the pacific northwest of north america, britain, germany, spain, austria, belgium, scandinavia, italy, india, japan, & china.

the big question : can i bite it?? s. flavida has been described by authorities variously as inedible, of unknown edibility, or edible but tough - it's hard to say !!

s. flavida description :

"the fan- or spoon-shaped fruit bodies of s. flavida may be up to 8 cm (3+1⁄8 in) high, although a range between 2–5 cm (3⁄4–2 in) is more typical. occasionally, fruit bodies are produced with the "head" split into two separate lobes. the colour is light to strong yellow, the flattened fertile area at times paler ; the colour tends to deepen with the age of the fruit body. the fertile area (the region that produces spores) is often irregularly wrinkled & sometimes notched at apex, & is up to 2 cm (3⁄4 in) wide; it tapers down the length of either side of the stem (i.e., decurrently) from a half to a third of the total stem length. the division between the head & the stem is sharply defined. the stem is hollow, smooth (glabrous), & has a white to yellowish mycelium at its base. the flesh of the fruit body is whitish, but becomes yellowish-brown when dry."

[images : source & source] [fungus description : source]

Yellow earth tongue - Spathularia flavida.