''Clavulina cristata'', commonly known as the white coral fungus or the crested coral fungus, is a white- or light-colored edible

coral mushroom The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the ''Basidiomycota'' typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fun ...

present in temperate areas of

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

and Europe. It is the type species of the genus '' Clavulina''. The commonly used species name ''cristata'' was coined in 1790 by Danish mycologist

Theodor Holmskjold Johan Theodor Holmskiold (14 June 1731 – 15 September 1793) was a Danish noble, botanist, courtier and administrator. He was noted for his scientific work with fungi and development of the Charlottenborg Botanical Garden. His career included wo ...

(as ''Ramaria cristata''). However, Linnaeus described apparently the same fungus as ''Clavaria coralloides'' in

Species plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...

in 1753. Therefore, according to the ''

International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants The ''International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "trad ...

'', the name ''Clavulina coralloides'' should be used in preference to ''Clavulina cristata'',See Kuo, M. (2007, April) the MushroomExpert.Com Web site entry

although the latter name is in more common use.

Description

Fruit bodies, which are generally white- to cream-colored, can be up to tall, and broad. The coral "arms" are sparingly branched (3–4 times), 2–4 mm wide, smooth, and sometimes wrinkled longitudinally. The tips are cristate, having small pointed projections, and will often darken with age or in dry weather.Google Books
/ref> The fruit bodies have no distinctive odor, and a mild taste. The fruit bodies may have a darker color either due to natural variation (whereby the appearance of this species may approach and be confused with ''C. cinerea'') or because of infection by a microscopic fungus, ''Helminthosphaeria clavariarum''.

Microscopic features

The Basidiospore, spores are white, roughly spherical, thick-walled, non- amyloid, smooth, and have dimensions of 7–11 by 6–10

µm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

. Basidia are club-shaped, 60–80 by 6–8 µm, and 2-spored. Cystidia are absent. Sterigmata, the slender projections of the basidium that bear the spores, may be straight or curved, and up to 7–8 µm long.Google Books
/ref> Microscopic and molecular analysis indicate that the species is related to chanterelles.

Habitat

''Clavulina cristata'' is found growing solitary or in clusters on the ground (sometimes on rotten wood) in both

coniferous Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extant ...

and

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

forests. It is a common mushroom, and typically fruits from late summer to winter.

Edibility

This fungus is edible,Google Books
/ref> but the tough flesh and insubstantial fruit bodies make it unappetizing to some individuals. It is considered excellent by some.

Lookalikes

Some other coral fungi have macroscopic and microscopic features similar to ''Clavulina cristata'', making identification confusing. ''

Clavulina rugosa ''Clavulina rugosa'', commonly known as the wrinkled coral fungus, is a species of coral fungus in the family Clavulinaceae The Clavulinaceae are a family of fungi in the order Cantharellales. The family is not well defined, but currently ...

'' is unbranched or sparingly branched. ''

Clavulina cinerea ''Clavulina cinerea'' is a species of coral fungus in the family Clavulinaceae The Clavulinaceae are a family of fungi in the order Cantharellales. The family is not well defined, but currently comprises species of clavarioid (club and coral ...

'' is usually darker in color. ''Ramaria stricta'' has parallel branches and grows on wood.

Chemistry

In addition to the major fatty acid components, palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid, ''C. cristata'' contains two unusual fatty acids, ''cis''-9, ''cis''-14-octadecadien-12-ynoic acid, and the conjugated ''cis''-9, ''trans''-11, ''trans''-13, ''cis''-15-octadecatetraenoic acid (commonly known as α- parinaric acid). ''C. cristata'' is the only fungi known to contain α-parinaric acid.Endo S. (1997). Vegetables are a treasurehouse of effective lipid sources. ''Nihon yukagaku kaishi'' 46(10): 1247–256
Abstract
/ref>

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q138027 Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Edible fungi cristata