THE

SECRETS OF

WITCH’S BUTTER

By Ann Pulsford

The jelly fungus commonly called Witch’s butter, Tremella mesenterica, is also called the yellow brain fungus. The yellow visible fruiting body is thought to resemble the folds of the brain when it is wet, but in dry weather however it shrivels up to a rubbery consistency and can be dark brown or almost black.

According to Eastern European legends it appears at the entrance to your house if a witch has put a spell on you. Fortunately, I first encountered this striking bright orange jelly fungus on some blackened gorse branches near Postbridge on Dartmoor, at a safe distance from my home. I did not therefore have to adhere to the legend’s recommendations and prick the fungus with straight pins and let the juices of the fruiting body leak out to kill it, in order to avoid a spell. In ignorance I was able to just photograph it and then identify it from photographs in books and on the web. It was the first time I had seen it, but once you have seen its striking bright orange gelatinous fruiting body it is hard to miss. It seems to glow like brilliant orange butter on grey misty Dartmoor days.

This species of jelly fungus is found on dead and decaying wood of birch, ash and hazel and less frequently on decaying gorse wood. It is most commonly found in Autumn and Winter. Jelly fungi are members of the fungal group Heterobasidiomycetes and derive their name from the jelly-like consistency of the fruiting bodies. It is within the gelatinous mass that the spores for the next generation of fungi are formed.

biodegradation of dead wood components which is a valuable function in woodland ecosystems. The cell walls of woody plants contain lignin and cellulose and the jelly fungi produce enzymes which can break these down.

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Jelly fungi are responsible for the

biodegradation of lignin and cellulose, ethanol is produced as a by product. The process of lignin degradation is a two step process which requires the presence of cellulose and includes saccharification and fermentation. Ethanol is an end product of this process. Its potential as a biofuel is being investigated as it could be used as a source of affordable sustainable green energy for the future.

As Tremella mesenterica can be cultured relatively easily in the laboratory and can be collected from the wild, it offers the possibility to study wood degradation in the laboratory. Recent biological and biochemical research has focussed on characterising the properties of its novel lignin degrading enzymes.

During the process of

These could be used in industrial ethanol production from lignin and cellulose which are both among the worlds most abundant biomolecules.

Tremella mesenterica is also a common folk medicine widely used in several Asian countries for diseases of the lungs. Laboratory research has backed up this herbal use and it has been reported to possesses a wide spectrum of medicinal properties, including immunostimulating, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, and antiallergic effects. With such a range of interesting by products perhaps its name Witch’s butter is not inappropriate.

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