Tremellales

order of fungus

Also known as: jelly fungus

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July 14, 2026

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The Tremellales are an order of fungi within the class Basidiomycota. These fungi are characterized by their basidiocarps, which are fruiting bodies that can range in texture from gelatinous to waxy or even horny when dry. Many species in this order are known as jelly fungi due to their jelly-like fruiting bodies, which are often brightly colored and found on decaying wood.12

The Tremellales include families such as Tremellaceae, which have basidia that are longitudinally or obliquely septate or divided. While most Tremellales are saprophytes, feeding on dead organic matter, some can be parasites, affecting mosses, other fungi, insects, or vascular plants.31

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fungus
Annotated classification
Order Tremellales Parasitic on mosses, vascular plants, or insects, although most are saprotrophic; basidiocarps well-formed, appearing as inconspicuous horny crusts when dry but usually bright-coloured to black gelatinous masses after a rain; example genera include Tremella, Trichosporon, and Christiansenia. Class Dacrymycetes
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Order Tremellales Parasitic on mosses, vascular plants, or insects, although most are saprotrophic; basidiocarps well-formed, appearing as inconspicuous horny crusts when dry but usually bright-coloured to black gelatinous masses after a rain; example genera include Tremella, Trichosporon, and Christiansenia. Class Dacrymycetes
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Basidiomycota
…species of the cosmopolitan order Tremellales, including those of the genus Tremella (40 species), so called because they have jellylike fruiting bodies. Frequently brightly coloured (especially yellow and orange) or white, the fungi occur on decaying wood after heavy rains in late summer.
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…species of the cosmopolitan order Tremellales, including those of the genus Tremella (40 species), so called because they have jellylike fruiting bodies. Frequently brightly coloured (especially yellow and orange) or white, the fungi occur on decaying wood after heavy rains in late summer.
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