a member of any of three orders ( Auriculariales, Tremellales, and Dacrymycetales ) of basidiomycetous fungi that grow on trees and have a jelly-like consistency when wet. They include the conspicuous yellow brain fungus ( Tremella mesenterica ), the black witch's butter ( Exidia plana ), and the pinky-red jew's-ear ( Auricularia auricula-judae )