Tripe fungus Auricularia mesenterica
inedible
It has a zoned, shaggy-haired upper side and tends to grow in overlapping tiers on deciduous wood.
View on the mapIdentification in 5 steps
Cup fungi form cup-shaped or bowl-shaped fruiting bodies on soil or wood. A few species are edible, but many are inedible or not tolerated raw, so do not collect them for the kitchen without reliable identification to species.
SeasonMarch to November
Spore printwhite
FamilyPezizaceae
- Cap. The fruiting bodies are 2 to 10 cm wide, cup-shaped, brown to olive-brown, smooth to slightly shaggy.
- Underside. The smooth spore-bearing layer is on the inside; the outside is often duller.
- Stem, ring and volva. A stem is absent or only hinted at; there is no ring and no volva.
- Smell and taste. They smell inoffensive to slightly mealy; do not taste them raw.
- Flesh and colour change. The flesh is brittle and pale.
Lookalikes
Many species are inedible or of unknown culinary value, and raw they are not tolerated.
Wood ear Auricularia auricula-judae
edible
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It has hardly any smell or taste, and its spore print is white. Cup fungi, by contrast, are brittle rather than gelatinous and mostly grow on the ground.
View on the mapSide by side
| Cup fungi | Tripe fungus | Wood ear | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap | fruiting bodies 2 to 10 cm wide, cup-shaped | 2 to 6 cm, shell- to ear-shaped, zoned, shaggy-haired | 3 to 10 cm, ear-shaped to bowl-shaped, red-brown, velvety |
| Underside | smooth spore layer inside, outside often duller | smooth to veined, grey to brown | spore layer smooth to veined, glossy |
| Stem | stem absent or only hinted at, no ring or volva | absent, attached at the side to wood | absent, narrow point of attachment to wood |
| Flesh | brittle and pale | gelatinous, hard when dry | gelatinous, elastic; hard when dry |
| Edibility | Inedible | inedible | edible |
Habitat & Season
Open, often chalky or nutrient-rich soils. From the lowlands up to the hills and mountains.
Host trees
Humus, burnt wood, garden beds.
Season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
possible good main season
After rain on open ground.
Mushroom regions with a daily forecast
There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.
Safety
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. These are not edible mushrooms: do not collect them for the kitchen.
Advice for your country
Ireland
Poison centre:
National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166
Emergency: 112 · 999
Germany
Poison centre:
Emergency: 112
Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).
Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.
Austria
Poison centre:
Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43
Emergency: 112 · 144
Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.
Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.
Why it is not edible
Culinary value varies by species; many are inedible.
Not for the kitchen. Many species are inedible, and the few edible ones need expert identification.
Frequently asked questions
Are cup fungi edible?
No, cup fungi are considered inedible. Many species are unpalatable or of unknown culinary value, and raw they are not tolerated.
When and where do cup fungi grow?
Cup fungi grow from March to November on open, often chalky or nutrient-rich soils, mainly after rain, on humus, burnt wood and in garden beds.
Which look-alikes can cup fungi be confused with?
You can confuse them with the wood ear and the tripe fungus. The wood ear has hardly any smell or taste and a white spore print, whereas cup fungi are brittle rather than gelatinous and mostly grow on the ground. The tripe fungus has a zoned, shaggy-haired upper side and tends to grow in overlapping tiers on deciduous wood.
How do you recognise cup fungi?
The spore print is white. The fruiting bodies are 2 to 10 cm wide, cup-shaped, brown to olive-brown, smooth to slightly shaggy.
Related species
- Turkey tail Trametes versicolor
- Bitter bolete Tylopilus felleus
- False chanterelle Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
- Splitgill Schizophyllum commune
- Tinder fungus Fomes fomentarius
- Fleecy milk-cap Lactarius vellereus
Sources
Photo credits
- Photo: Andreas Kunze · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Tripe fungus: Photo: Jymm, edited by Ak ccm (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wood ear: Photo: Björn S... · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.