Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis)

Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) is a species of fungus in Tremellaceae, a parasitic yeast that produces gelatinous white basidiocarp, grows as a slimy coating on the branches of dead broadleaf trees and is cultivated commercially for food and traditional medicine.

T. fuciformis begins growing as a mucus layer that meets the host, then attacks and triggers the growth of aggressive mycelium which is needed to form a white, watery body like jelly or gelatin.

The body has a width of 7.5 cm or more, consisting of thin, erect, branched leaves. Hyphae appear in a solid gelatinous matrix. Haustorial cells appear in the hyphae, producing filaments that adhere to and penetrate the host hyphae. Basidia is a tremeloid, 10-13x6.5-10 μm. Basidiospores are ellipsoid, smooth, 5-8x4-6 μm, and germinate with hyphal tubes.

Snow fungus follows its host and is usually found on branches of dead, stuck or recently fallen broadleaf trees, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, cultivated in Asian countries in modern ways for sugary dishes, savory dishes, soups and ice cream because texture and benefits of medicinal and beauty products.

Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Basidiomycota
Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
Class: Tremellomycetes
Order: Tremellales
Family: Tremellaceae
Genus: Tremella
Species: Tremella fuciformis

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NEWS - Incredible footage shows a marine species, Bathyopsurus nybelini , feeding on something that sinks from the ocean’s surface. Researchers using the submersible Alvin found the isopod swimming 3.7 miles down using its paddle-like legs to catch an unexpected food source: Sargassum. Researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the University of Montana, SUNY Geneseo, Willamette University and the University of Rhode Island found the algae sinking, while the isopod waited and adapted specifically to find and feed on the sinking nutrient source. The Sargassum lives on the surface for photosynthesis. The discovery of a deep-sea animal that relies on food that sinks from the waters miles above underscores the close relationship between the surface and the deep. “It’s fascinating to see this beautiful animal actively interacting with sargassum, so deep in the ocean. This isopod is extremely rare; only a handful of specimens were collected during the groundbreaking Swedis...

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