Recycling the recyclers

These are rotting jelly ears, the fruiting bodies of the fungus  Auricularia auricula-judae a fungus that makes its living by breaking down dead wood. They in their turn are recycled by other fungi and bacteria.
The common name Jelly ears is a rather recent invention. In the recent, politically less sensitive, past they were known as Jews' ears, the clue being in the scientific name; Auricula being the Latin word for ear and Judae referring to Judas, the Jew who it is said to have betrayed Jesus. The association of the fungus with Judas Iscariot comes from its habit of growing on dead elder trees Sambucus nigra, the tree on which Judas is traditionally thought to have hung himself. Given that the elder is not native to the Palestine region, this story may not be entirely accurate!