#Clavaria fragilis

[mycoblogg]

FOTD #040 : fairy fingers! (clavaria fragilis)

fairy fingers (also called white worm coral & white spindle) is a saprotrophic fungus in the family clavariaceae. it is usually found across the northern hemisphere, but has also been found in australia & south africa :-)

the big question : can i bite it?? yeah !! though it is nonpoisonous, it is too fragile to be of substantial worth in cooking, but it is edible nonetheless.

c. fragilis description :

"the fruit bodies of c. fragilis are irregularly tubular, smooth to furrowed, sometimes compressed, very fragile, white, up to 15 cm (6 in) tall by 5 mm (0.2 in) thick, & typically grow in dense clusters. the tip of the fruit body tapers to a point, & may yellow & curve with age. there is no distinct stalk, although it is evident as a short, semitransparent zone of tissue at the base of the club. microscopically, the hyphae of the flesh are swollen up to 12 µm wide & lack clamp connections. the spores are smooth, colourless, ellipsoid to oblong, measuring 5–7 by 3–4 µm. the spores are white in deposit. the basidia (spore bearing cells) measure 40–50 by 6–8 µm, & lack clamps at their bases."

[images : source & source] [fungus description : source]

"i love these guys teehee<3 they're so ethereal."

[wildflowers-of-southern-ontario]

Fairy Fingers Clavaria fragilis Clavariaceae

Photograph taken on July 18, 2023, at Silver Creek Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada.

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Coral and Finger Mushrooms

Don't have a lot of photos of these, but they're neat. Photos mine, unedited.

Artomyces pyxidatus, the crown-tipped coral mushroom, is edible and a neat texture in soup.

Clavaria fragilis, fairy fingers, are also edible but I didn't know what it was at the time of the photos and so haven't used them yet.

Clavaria zollingeri, violet coral, is edible as well, but I didn't know what this was at the time either and haven't seen it since.

Xylaria polymorpha, dead man's fingers, are great in frittata! This is the stage you want them in. I really should photos of a full flush, but I always get excited when they come up and start picking. lol You can see the stumps of some I grabbed.

Word of caution: cook all wild edible mushrooms before eating. Even if they don't poison you immediately they can have longterm effects.

Word of ethics: leave a third of the young ones you find in the wild and only if there are a lot of them.

[spores-and-such]

Mushrooms I saw today - Cathays cemetery, Cardiff, 27/10/2024

Artist's Bracket (Ganoderma applanatum), this bracket fungus has a white underside that turns dark brown when scratched. Because of this, it can be used as a medium for drawing, which is where it gets its common name.

I think this is either Meadow Coral (Clavulinopsis corniculata) or yellow staghorn (Calocera viscosa), but I'm leaning towards the former.

There were a lot of club/spindle fungi. I think these may be Moor Club (Clavaria argillacea) of various shades, or the white one could be White Spindles (Clavaria fragilis)

I think these are Ivory Corals (Ramariopsis kunzei)

Pink waxcap (Porpolomopsis calyptriformis)

Parrot waxcap (Hygrocybe psittacina)

I think these are the hilariously named Cramp Balls (Daldinia concentrica)

Cloudy Clitoclibe (Clitocybe nebularis) perhaps

I saw a lot more but I can't be bothered to try identifying them right now, so I might make a follow-up post.

[tzaddi53]

⁣

1. Clitocybe odora, Aniseed Funnel mushroom⁣

2. Mycena haematopus, Bleeding Fairy Helmet⁣

3. Lycoperdon perlatum, common puffball⁣

4. Clavaria fragilis, Fairy Fingers⁣

5. Trametes versicolor, turkey-tail⁣

6. Amanita calyptroderma, coccora⁣

7. Ramaria stricta, Upright Coral Fungus⁣

8. Morchella angusticeps, Black Morel⁣

9. Coprinopsis lagopus, Hare's Foot Inkcap⁣

10. Naematelia aurantia, golden ear⁣

All of these images where generated with the AI software MidJourney.⁣

With each upgrade of software I venture forth testing the capabilities, such is the case with the recent release of MidJourney v.6 (alpha). ⁣

Since I began exploring MidJourney in July of 2022 I’ve kept most of my prompts, the text I’ve written to create images. From the beginning with MidJourney v.1 I’ve attempted to recreate certain species of fungi that I’ve observed and photographed over the years.⁣

⁣To the experienced eye some flaws are evident in these facsimiles but overall they are good IMHO.⁣

[terranlifeform]

Fairy fingers (Clavaria fragilis) at Portola Redwoods State Park in California, U.S.

Ron Wolf

[briery]

Clavaria fragilis.

[seabeck]

Fairy fingers (Clavaria fragilis)

[lindagoesmushrooming]

OK, these ones are super interesting but I must admit I've never seen one myself and I am not able to identify them.

White spindle fungus (clavaria fragilis) grows in grass and has a long, wormy shape but, even though the top can sometimes be darker, the shape is different.

Some coprinus species (e.g. coprinus auricomus) can look a bit similar when young but their stems are not this long, as far as I know, so scratch that.

Ideas, anyone?

EDIT: Thanks to @fon-master-ion , we now know it’s Conocybe deliquescens.

[mycosprite]

White Spindles Clavaria fragilis

[madmushlove]

Clavaria fragilis Fairy fingers

I had to venture dangerously to find these aptly named fairy fingers.

They were at the bottom of a steep hill that runs rainwater into a little creek.  Once I’d gotten myself down there, I realized it would be hard to get back out.  So I decided to stay a little while, and look around.

There they were, reaching up from the ground.

I was happy not to overlook them.  They are tiny!  But what a sight.  Clavaria fragilis is a club shaped coral fungus, with peculiarly pure white color. 

I touched it to feel the texture, and a little piece broke off,  They were pretty brittle.  They felt almost like little white been sprouts.  In fact, I questioned whether or not they were fungi at all at first.

Since it was my first time identifying them, I asked for help and someone more experienced than myself confirmed Clavaria fragilis for me.

The species name fit exactly with my experience with the fragile little fairy fingers.

Oh, and I eventually mustered up the courage to climb back out of the fairy ravine with just a touch of reluctance and only a couple glances back at what I left behind.

[moodboardinthecloud]

Clavaria fragilis, commonly known as fairy fingers, white worm coral, or white spindles, is a species of fungus in the family Clavariaceae. It is synonymous with Clavaria vermicularis. The fungus is the type species of the genus Clavaria and is a typical member of the clavarioid or club fungi. It produces tubular, unbranched, white basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that typically grow in clusters. The fruit bodies can reach dimensions of 15 cm (5.9 in) tall by 0.5 cm (0.2 in) thick. Clavaria fragilis is a saprobic species, growing in woodland litter or in old, unimproved grassland. It is widespread throughout temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere, but has also been reported from Australia and South Africa. The fungus is edible, but insubstantial and flavorless. There are several other small white coral-like fungi with which C. fragilis may be confused.

[wildflowers-of-southern-ontario]

Fairy Fingers Clavaria fragilis Clavariaceae

Photograph taken on July 21, 2023, at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park, Mono, Ontario, Canada.

[depressiongoblin]

Clavaria fragilis, Fairy Fingers #mushrooms #mycology #nature #naturephotography #fungi https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvnk16sk8B/?utm_medium=tumblr

[websurfingspider]

Oh my! I knew about Fairy Fingers (Clavaria fragilis) but this purple relative seems more deserving of the name

Clavaria zollingeri

[yoichi-55]

20200730

きのこ図鑑

No.99 シロソウメンタケ

Clavaria fragilis