Auricularia cornea is characterized by variable colors of fresh basidiomata, dense hairs on upper surface, and presence of medulla. This species seems to belong to a species complex (Looney et al 2013). Records of A. polytricha in Brazil may also represent A. cornea (unpublished data).

The species in known in 36 countries and about 50% of the records are in New Zealand.

There are about 1,200 records of this species in GBIF, and 234 of A. polytricha in Brazil.

This species is widespread in the world. In Brazil, it is found in Amazon Forest, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, and Cerrado.

In Brazil, this species is mostly distributed in pluvial forest domain. Amazon has currently the highest rates of deforestation in the last decades and the Atlantic Forest is a hotspot.Cerrado is also a hotspot and Caatinga is threatened with desertification.

Most records in Brazil are in protected areas.

Recent studies showed this species as a species complex. Auricularia nigricas is one of the species already segregated, occurring in the Caribbean, USA and Argentina (Looney et al. 2013).
New areas should be studied in Brazil and molecular analysis carried out, to confirm whether Brazilian’s specimens belong to A. cornea s.s.

The species is used as food in traditional Neotropical communities and China. Biological activities are being studied, as antidiabetic, antinephritic, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties (Ren et al. 2012, 2014; Wang et al. 2019; Yue and Liang, 2020)