A large, dark brown to black, barrel-shaped cup fungus filled with a watery gelatinous substance, which flattens and wrinkles with age. It grows in spruce forests, especially along streams. It has declined sharply in Europe and is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Edibility unknown. Wikipedia reports no human use. Because it is rare and declining, it should not be collected.
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Habitat
Spruce forests, especially near streams and brooks, on well-drained, nutrient-rich soil, often among moss. Fruits in spring (May records in northwestern Russia). Tolerates selective logging but disappears after clear-cutting.
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Northern Europe (Fennoscandia, the Baltic states, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine) and North America (Canada and the United States), where it is rare, notably around the Great Lakes; found in northern British Columbia in 2021. Extirpated in Germany, Lithuania and Slovakia (Wikipedia).
Characteristics
Fruitbody: 5-10 cm across, globose to barrel-shaped, dark brown to blackish, glossy or velvety; interior gelatinous; flattening into a wrinkled, pancake-like disc with age (Wikipedia).
