Otidea alutacea

Otidea alutacea is best identified by its unusual fruiting body shape, which resembles a rabbit's or donkey's ear rather than the symmetrical cup form seen in many related fungi. The fruiting body is split open along one side from the base upward, giving it a lopsided, flattened appearance instead of a closed cup.

The outer surface tends toward a dull, leathery brown or tan tone, while the inner spore-bearing surface is typically smoother and can appear slightly paler or more richly colored. As the fruiting body matures, the split widens further and the margin may become wavy or irregular, making older specimens look even less cup-like than young ones.

The base narrows into a short, stem-like point where it attaches to the ground, though this is often short and easily overlooked among leaf litter or soil.

Observation records for Otidea alutacea show a clear seasonal pattern, with counts rising sharply through the summer and peaking between late summer and early autumn, particularly in the months corresponding to August and September, before tapering off through late autumn and staying low over winter and spring. This pattern suggests the species fruits mainly at that time of year, though these are presence records only, not a measure of abundance or a complete picture of its range.

1. The species is commonly known as the brown clustered ear cup, a name drawn directly from the shape and color of its fruiting bodies.
2. It belongs to the family Pyronemataceae within the order Pezizales, a group of fungi known for producing cup- or ear-shaped apothecia rather than conventional mushroom caps.