jellies yellow on the damp dead wood
- Size
- 0.5-2 cm across
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Diet
- Saprotrophic. Decays dead wood of native trees. Obtains nutrients by breaking down lignin.
- Habitat
- Decaying native wood, particularly on fallen branches and logs in damp native forests.
- Range
- Known from native forests in New Zealand. Exact distribution uncertain due to recent description.
- Endemism
- Endemic
- Main Threats
- Unknown. Habitat loss from forest clearance may affect populations. Climate change could alter moisture.
- Population
- Described in 2017 from New Zealand specimens. One of several new Dacrymyces species from same paper.
- Conservation Status
- data_deficient
- Human Risk
- caution
- Handling Note
- inedible; do not ingest
- Conservation Note
- Endemic fungus; data insufficient for classification, not formally assessed by NZTCS.
- Te Ao Māori
- Dacrymyces citrinus has no recognised Māori name. It was only described in 2017. Jelly fungi were traditionally noted but not widely used. This species is part of New Zealand's poorly documented fungal biodiversity. Much of this remains undescribed. The lack of name reflects the recent discovery. The absence of use reflects the obscurity. The tradition holds no record. The science holds the classification. The fungus remains unnamed. It remains essential. The cultural layer is empty. This is accurate. The fungus exists outside traditional knowledge. It belongs to the modern era. The observation is scientific. The appreciation is naturalistic. The tradition holds no specific record. The modern view holds the taxonomy. The fungus persists. It remains unnamed. It remains essential.
A bright lemon-yellow blob on dead wood. It looks like someone dropped a piece of gummy candy in the bush. Dacrymyces citrinus is one of six new jelly fungi described from New Zealand in a single 2017 paper. The authors had been busy. The fungi had been waiting. The discovery was significant. The taxonomy was updated. The diversity was revealed.
The fruiting body is gelatinous. It is bright yellow. The shape is like a small cushion or a flattened disc. It grows on dead native wood. This is usually on fallen branches in damp forest. When wet, it swells. When dry, it shrinks to a thin crust. It can revive with the next rain. The resilience is notable. The hydration is key. The structure is flexible.
The name citrinus means lemon-yellow. It is accurate. The fungus is the colour of citrus peel. It stands out against the dark bark and moss. Not subtle. Not trying to be. The visual is immediate. The identification is straightforward. The colour is the clue.
Very little is known about this species beyond its original description. It was collected in native forests. This probably occurred in the North Island. It may be more widespread. No one has looked. The distribution is uncertain. The knowledge is limited. The potential is unexplored. The silence is notable.
Jelly fungi are decomposers. They break down dead wood. They are not edible. They are not medicinal. They are not commercially valuable. They are just there. Bright spots of colour appear in the damp forest. A reminder that New Zealand's fungal diversity is still being catalogued. The function is ecological. The value is intrinsic. The presence is noted.
The 2017 paper revised the genus Dacrymyces for New Zealand. Before that, most collections were lumped under a few broad names. The revision showed that what looked like one species was actually many. Six new species. Six new names. Six new reasons to look closer. The complexity was hidden. The clarity was achieved. The work was necessary.
Dacrymyces citrinus is not threatened. It is just unknown. The status reflects the lack of data. It does not reflect safety. It reflects ignorance. The fungus persists. It decays the wood. It releases the spores. It carries on. And that seems to be enough.