Habitat: Occurs on very wet plant litter or even on litter submerged in cold, shallow, running water.

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Mitrula elegans looks very much like a yellow- or golden-orange-headed wooden match. It is typically a spring-fruiter. M. paludosa is a nearly identical European species; it differs primarily in having slightly broader spores (11--24 x 2--4, vs. 11--17 x 1.5--3 µm). M. lunulatospora, is a similar North American species with somewhat crescent-shaped spores, 11--19 x 2--4; it is known only from the eastern part of the continent. M. borealis is a third similar species. It has broad ellipsoid to ovoid spores, 10.5--18 x 2.5--5 µm, and has been reported from Alaska and western Montana, so probably occurs elsewhere in the northern portion of our region.