Donkey ear (Otidea donkey) (Otidea onotica) photo and description

Donkey Otidea (Otidea onotica)

Hat: The mushroom cap Donkey’s ear has an unusual elongated shape. The edges of the cap are turned inside. The diameter of the hat is up to 6 cm. The length can reach 10 cm. The hat has a one-sided structure. The inner surface of the cap is yellow with shades of ocher. The outer surface can be either a tone lighter or a tone darker.

Leg: the stem repeats the shape and color of the hat.

Pulp: thin and dense pulp has no special smell and taste. So dense that it looks like rubber.

fruiting body: The shape of the fruiting body resembles the ear of a donkey, hence the name of the fungus. The height of the fruiting body is from 3 to 8 cm. The width is from 1 to 3 cm. At the bottom it passes into a small stalk. Inside light yellow or reddish, rough. The inner surface is yellow-orange in color, smooth.

Spore Powder: white.

Spread: Donkey’s ear grows in a cool climate, prefers fertile, fertilized and heated soils in forests of any kind. Found in groups, occasionally singly. It can be found both in forest clearings and in conflagrations. The probability is about the same. Fruits from July to October-November.

Similarity: closest to the donkey’s ear is the Spatula mushroom (Spathularia flavida) – This mushroom is also little known and rare. The shape of this mushroom resembles a yellow spatula, or close to yellow. Since the spatula rarely grows even up to 5 cm, mushroom pickers do not consider it a valuable species. With poisonous and inedible mushrooms growing in our area, the donkey’s ear has no similarities.

Edibility: not of great value due to the hard flesh and small size. But, in principle, it is considered an edible mushroom and can be eaten fresh.