jellies on the dead introduced wood

Size
Width: 2–7 cm
Lifespan
1 years
Diet
Parasitic: grows on mycelium of other wood-rotting fungi.
Habitat
On dead wood, especially of introduced trees. Often found on fallen branches.
Range
Throughout New Zealand on dead wood. Found in both North and South Islands.
Endemism
Native
Main Threats
No significant conservation threats. Common and widespread.
Population
Populations are considered stable and widespread. Common on dead wood.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
edible when cooked; ensure correct identification
Conservation Note
Native fungus; not assessed by NZTCS as fungi are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
Witches butter gets its name from its strange, gelatinous appearance, once thought to be the work of witches. In New Zealand, it is common on dead wood, especially of introduced trees. It is a fascinating example of a jelly fungus. The wobble is not weakness. It is hydration.
After rain, on a dead branch, something yellow appears. Not a leaf. Not a flower. A blob. A yellow, wobbly, brain-like blob. Witches butter is a bright yellow, gelatinous fungus with a brain-like, convoluted shape. It looks like something that should be in a science fiction film, not on a fallen log in the bush. Soft. Jelly-like. Slightly repellent. And completely fascinating. When dry, it shrinks to a hard, dark crust that looks like nothing at all. Then the rain returns and it rehydrates, expanding back to its full, yellow, wobbly self. Not dead. Just waiting for water. A fungus that plays dead, then comes back to life. It is parasitic on other wood-rotting fungi. That is the part people miss. Witches butter does not feed on the wood directly. It feeds on the mycelium of other fungi that are already breaking down the log. A fungus that eats other fungi. The forest has its own food chain, and it operates at scales that cannot be seen. Not edible. Some sources say it is, technically, but it has no flavour and a texture like wet rubber. There are better things to eat in the bush. There are also worse. This is somewhere in the middle. Leave it on the log. The name comes from European folklore. Witches used it to curse butter, or so the story goes. In New Zealand, it is just a yellow blob on a stick. No curses. No magic. Just a jelly fungus doing its parasitic thing. The magic is in the biology, not the story. Appears in autumn and winter, when the rain is frequent and the air is damp. Look on dead wood in native forest and pine plantations alike. The yellow colour stands out against the brown bark and green moss. It cannot be missed. Touch it. It wobbles. That is all. But sometimes, that is enough.