Aleuria aurantia (Pers.) Fuckel
Family: Pyronemataceae
Orange Peel Fungus
Aleuria aurantia image
National Mushroom Centre  
Mata, M., D. Penjor and S. Pradham. 2010. Fungi of Bhutan. National Mushroom Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu, Bhutan.

Local name: No local name known

Edibility: Edible

Habitat: Terrestrial and gregarious to clustered, often on soil or disturbed areas.

Description: Fruit bodies: Disc-shaped or cup-shaped, globose in very early stages of development, and gradually expand until 3-5 cm in diameter. The external surface is pale orange, pruinose and under surface is smooth, usually bright orange sometimes becoming reddish-orange. Flesh: Thin and bright orange.

Comments: This species is edible and easy to recognize by the bright orange colour and grows mostly on disturbed areas, has little flavour, thin and fragile flesh. This is not an important item for cooking here in Bhutan but is used raw in salads because it gives an attractive colour in salads in other countries. Species of Sarcoscypha is a similar species to A. aurantia. However Sarcoscypha spp. have a bright red internal surface, grows on wood and is tough, while A. aurantia is usually bright orange, grows on soil and is fragile.