The photograph shows a picture of Auricularia sp. , also known as black fungus. It belongs to the Phylum Basidiomycota, Class Agaricomycotina. It is also commonly called as wood ear or jelly ear because of the jelly texture and ear-like shape of its fruiting body. Being an edible fungus, it is a very popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine as it was found to have numerous health benefits including lowering cholesterol level.