Auricularia Bull., Herbier de la France 6: t. 274. 1786.

Basionym: Auricularia Bull., Herbier de la France 6: t. 274. 1786.

Type species: Auricularia reflexa Bull., Herbier de la France 6: t. 274. 1786.

Description: The genus Auricularia, belonging to the family Auriculariaceae, was established by Bulliard in 1787. The basidioma is gelatinous when fresh, pileate, auriform to orbiculate, substipitate or stipitate, resupinate, lobed, often upturned and color ranging from white to brownish (Bulliard 1787). It distinguishes itself macroscopically from other genera of the family by a basidioma with a zone of internal hyphae, hymenial surface ranging from smooth to reticulate, and microscopically by its dense hymenial surface with basidia ranging from cylindrical to clavate, with three septations and basidiospore white to ochraceous, able to produce conidia (Bulliard 1787, Lowy 1952, 1971).