Clavaria
14 species
Show only taxa with photos
Order by:
Scientific name
Common name
Display as:
Clavaria acutapointed club
Description: Clavaria acuta is a small pure white terrestrial club that grows as scattered individuals or fused pairs or trios. Often the clubs exhibit a translucent stipe with a whiter upper fertile portion.
Habitat: Clavaria acuta usually occurs on bare soil in somewhat disturbed areas.
Clavaria fragiliswhite spindles
Description: Clavaria fragilis produces smooth, tubular or slightly flattened, unbranched fruitbodies with pointed tips. they normally grow gregariously in large clusters. As the common name indicates, they are white, sometimes yellowing or browning at the tips when old.
Habitat: grassland and wodland
Substrate: moss and grass or leaf litter
Clavaria fumosasmoky clavaria, smoky spindles
Origin: Native
Clavaria rosearosy club coral, rose spindles
Description: Clavaria rosea oriduces smooth, tubular or flattened, unbranched fruitbodies that have pointed tips and an indistinct stem. The are bright rose-pink, paler or whitish toward the base. The flesh is hollow and very fragile.
Habitat: grassland or woodlands
Substrate: moss and grass or leaf litter
Clavaria vermicularis
Description: Clavaria vermicularis is very similar to C. actua (microscopically nearly identical) and more common; it too grows on soil, but in dense clusters of usually larger clubs. Its species name comes from the Latin for “worm”.
Substrate: Soil
Clavariadelphus ligulastrap coral, strap-shaped coral
Description: Clavariadelphus ligula is indistinguishable from C. sachalinensis in the field, differing primarily by its shorter spores (12–165 × 35–45 vs 18–24 × 4–6 µm) Because intermediates often can be found, it could be that only one species is involved, in which case the name C. ligula would have priority.
Clavariadelphus occidentalis
Description: Clvariadelphus occidentalis is a similar to C. pistillaris, but paler and usually associating with conifers.
Substrate: Conifers
Clavariadelphus sachalinensisstrap-shaped pestle
Description: Clavariadelphus sachalinensis is one of several small slender members of the genus that are characterized by fruiting from a dense mycelial mat that permeates and binds the substrate and by having narrowly ellipsoid or sway-backed spores. All are initially pale yellow and become pinkish cinnamon to ochraceous cinnamon as they age. The entire upper portion of the club is covered with fertile tissue.
Distribution: Widespread in western and northern North America.
Habitat: Often these species can be found in large troops under conifers.
Clavariadelphus truncatusflat-top coral, flat-topped coral, truncate club coral
Description: The species of Clavariadelphus can usually be told from the other clubs by their larger size, stockier stature, and characteristic ocher to yellow-orange color. C. truncatus produces rather large fruitbodies with a wide flattened cap, which makes it look something like a chanterelle, especially when the fertile surface, which runs down the upper portion beneath the “cap,” is wrinkled. C. truncatus is edible, with a rather sweet taste.
Distribution: Broad throughout the Northern Hemisphere
Habitat: Occurs with conifers