Auriculariaceae

/ɔːˌrɪkjəˈlɛəriˈeɪsiːiː/ noun

Definition

A family of fungi that includes the wood ear and jelly ear fungi, characterized by their ear-shaped or gelatinous fruiting bodies.

Etymology

From 'auricularia' (the genus) plus the taxonomic family suffix '-aceae,' following Linnaean nomenclature for grouping related fungal species.

Kelly Says

The Auriculariaceae family name shows how Linnaeus's naming system (taxonomy) creates a nested structure—auricularia is the genus (genus ear fungi), and Auriculariaceae is the family (the ear fungi family)!

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