Black Witches Butter - Exidia glandulosa

A tough jelly fungus, very dark black-brown when wet.  Fruitbodies are thick, firm and shaped like discs, buttons or tops (turbinate), but may coalesce into groups of irregular blocks with flattened tops and facets.  When dry it shrivels and forms an olive-brown crust over the substrate, but regains its shape and jelly-like texture when re-wetted.  The brownish upper side can be matt or shiny and is hairy or scurfy.  The lower (fertile) hymenium has small fine warts.   

Warlock's Butter is extremely similar, but eventually becomes brain-like.  They are 'microscopically indistinguishable' (Roberts, 2001)

Black Bulgar is also very dark, and mature specimens can look similar - it lacks warts, and has a black spore print.. 

Photograph in habitat; provide close-up photos of upper and lower surfaces; note habitat, substrate and associated tree species.  It can be difficult to separate Witches' from Warlocks' Butter and close examination of the growth form and the texture of upper and lower surfaces is needed.

Usually found on dead attached branches of Oak, very occasionally on other broad-leaved species

All year round.

Fairly frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.