Clavulina cristata, commonly known as the wrinkled coral fungus,[4] white coral fungus or the crested coral fungus,[5] is a white- or light-colored edible coral mushroom present in temperate areas of the Americas and Europe. It is the type species of the genus Clavulina.
| Clavulina cristata | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Cantharellales |
| Family: | Hydnaceae |
| Genus: | Clavulina |
| Species: | C. cristata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Clavulina cristata | |
| Synonyms | |
Clavulina cristata | |
|---|---|
 | Smooth hymenium |
 | No distinct cap |
 | Stipe is bare |
 | Spore print is white |
 | Ecology is saprotrophic or mycorrhizal |
 | Edibility is edible |
Taxonomy
editThe commonly used species name cristata was coined in 1790 by Danish mycologist Theodor Holmskjold (as Ramaria cristata). However, Carl Linnaeus described apparently the same fungus as Clavaria coralloides in his Species Plantarum in 1753.[6] Therefore, according to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, the name Clavulina coralloides should be used in preference to Clavulina cristata,[7][8] although the latter name is in more common use.
Description
editThe fruit bodies, which are generally white- to cream-colored, can be up to 8 centimetres (3+1⁄8 in) tall, and 2.5–4 cm (1–1+5⁄8 in) broad.[9] The coral "arms" are sparingly branched (3–4 times), 2–4 mm wide,[10] smooth, and sometimes wrinkled longitudinally. The tips are cristate, having small pointed projections, and will often darken with age or in dry weather.[4] The stems vary in form and can be 5–40 mm (1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) long and 5–20 mm wide.[9] The fruit bodies have no distinctive odor, and a mild taste.[10]
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.[8]
Microscopic features
editThe spores are white, roughly spherical, thick-walled, non-amyloid, smooth, and have dimensions of 7–11 by 6–10 μm.[10][11] Basidia are club-shaped, 60–80 by 6–8 μm, and 2-spored.[5] 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.[12] Microscopic and molecular analysis indicate that the species is related to chanterelles.[13]
Chemistry
editIn 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).[14] C. cristata is the only fungi known to contain α-parinaric acid.[15]
Lookalikes
editSome other coral fungi have macroscopic and microscopic features similar to C. cristata, making identification confusing.[13] Clavulina rugosa is unbranched or sparingly branched.[13] Clavulina cinerea is usually darker in color.[13] Ramaria stricta has parallel branches and grows on wood. Lentaria byssiseda is light brown with white tips.[9] Ramariopsis kunzei is often bright white and smooth, and Sebacina schweinitzii is very tough.[9]
Distribution and habitat
editClavulina cristata is found growing solitary or in clusters on the ground (sometimes on rotten wood) in both coniferous and hardwood forests in temperate areas of the Americas (October–March on the west coast of North America and July–October further inland)[9] and Europe. It is a common mushroom, and typically fruits from late summer to winter.
Uses
editThis fungus is edible,[16][17] but the tough flesh and insubstantial fruit bodies make it unappetizing to some individuals.[11] It is considered excellent by some.[18][19]
References
edit- ^ Joseph Schröter, in Cohn, Krypt.-Fl. Schlesien (Breslau) 3.1(25–32), page 443 (1888)
- ^ L., Sp. pl. 2, page 1182 (1753)
- ^ Bolton, Hist. fung. Halifax (Huddersfield) 3,page 115 (1790)
- ^ a b Arora, David (1986). Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-0-89815-169-5.
- ^ a b Ellis, J. B.; Ellis, Martin B. (1990). Fungi without gills (hymenomycetes and gasteromycetes): an identification handbook. London: Chapman and Hall. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-412-36970-4.
- ^ See bottom of p. 1182 of Carolus Linnaeus "Species Plantarum, exhibentes ..." (1753), available on-line at the Missouri Botanical Garden's digital library.
- ^ See the Index Fungorum entry Archived 2007-10-16 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b See Kuo, M. (2007, April) the MushroomExpert.Com Web site entry: [1].
- ^ a b c d e Audubon (2023). Mushrooms of North America. Knopf. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-593-31998-7.
- ^ a b c Miller, Hope Ridings; Miller, Orson K. (2006). North American mushrooms: a field guide to edible and inedible fungi. Guilford, Conn: Falcon Guide. p. 345. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1.
- ^ a b Orr, Dorothy B.; Orr, Robert Thomas (1980). Mushrooms of Western North America (California Natural History Guides). Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-520-03660-4.
- ^ Linda Fung-yee Ng (1993). The Macrofungus Flora of China's Guangdong Province (Chinese University Press). New York: Columbia University Press. p. 93. ISBN 978-962-201-556-2. Google Books
- ^ a b c d Trudell, Steve; Ammirati, Joe (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-88192-935-5.
- ^ Endo S, Zhiping G, Takagi T. (1991). Lipid components of seven species of Basidiomycotina and three species of Ascomycotina. Journal of the Japan Oil Chemists' Society 40(7): 574–77.
- ^ Endo S. (1997). Vegetables are a treasurehouse of effective lipid sources. Nihon yukagaku kaishi 46(10): 1247–256. Abstract
- ^ Foy, Nicky; Phillips, Roger; Kibby, Geoffrey (1991). Mushrooms of North America. Boston: Little, Brown. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-316-70613-1.
- ^ Ian Burrows (2005). Food from the Wild. New Holland Publishers Ltd. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-84330-891-1. Google Books
- ^ Margaret McKenny; Daniel E Stuntz (1987). The New Savory Wild Mushroom. University of Washington Press. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-295-96480-5.
- ^ Geoff, Dann (2016-09-29). Edible mushrooms: a forager's guide to the wild fungi of Britain, Ireland and Europe. Cambridge, England. ISBN 9780857843975. OCLC 971245992.
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