Naematella encephala on YM.
Image Credit: Mark Butcher

Naematella encephala and its host, Stereum sanguinolentum.
Image from Wikipedia
By Andreas Kunze [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Naematelia encephela (syn. Tremella encephala) is a parasite of Stereum sanguinolentum, growing on and often completely enveloping host basidiocarps.  is widespread in north temperate regions and is known throughout North America, Europe, and northern Asia. It has also been recorded from Australia.

Naematelia encephala produces pink, brain-like, gelatinous basidiocarps with a hard, whitish core when cut. Microscopically, the hyphae are clamped and occur in a dense gelatinous matrix. Haustorial cells arise on the hyphae, producing filaments that attach to and penetrate the unclamped hyphae of the host. The basidia are tremelloid (spherical to ellipsoid, with oblique to vertical septa), usually unstalked. The basidiospores are mostly roughly spherical in shape, smooth, and germinate by hyphal tube or by yeast cells.

The Naematelia encephala genome was sequenced as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project.