A yellowish-brown cup fungus shaped like an upright rabbit's ear or a split spoon, growing in clusters on the ground in woods. Its edges fold inward along a cleft down one side, and the outer surface is very finely hairy. Several Otidea species look alike, and microscopic features are needed to name them reliably.
Not edible. Wikipedia reports that it contains toxins that may cause serious gastric upset. Otidea species are hard to tell apart, so none should be eaten.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Habitat
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Saprobic; on the ground in woods under conifers or hardwoods, often clustered, sometimes alone or scattered; summer and fall, or winter and spring in warmer regions.
Distribution
Described from Europe. MushroomExpert.com reports it as widely distributed in North America but notes that authors interpret the name somewhat differently; several similar Otidea species occur there, so North American records need microscopic confirmation.
Characteristics
Fruit body: up to 7 cm high and 4 cm across, rabbit-ear-shaped, spoon-shaped or nearly cup-shaped with a cleft down one side; more or less upright; flesh brittle. Inner surface: pale brownish to yellowish brown. Outer surface: similar or paler, very finely hairy. Stem: absent or small, rudimentary and whitish. Odor: not distinctive. Spores: 12-14 x 6-8 um (8-11 x 5-6 um in var. minor), smooth, elliptical, with two oil droplets; paraphyses narrow with hooked or curved tips (MushroomExpert.com).
