noun
or wood ear mushroom
Etymology: translation of Chinese (Pekingese) mu 4 erh 3
: any of several ear- or cup-shaped jelly fungi of the genus Auricularia that grow on wood: as
a. : an edible brownish fungus ( A. auricula ) of North America
b. : a cultivated usually dark brown edible fungus ( A. polytricha ) used in Chinese cooking — called also cloud ear tree ear