''Clavulinopsis fusiformis'', commonly known as golden spindles, spindle-shaped yellow coral, or spindle-shaped fairy club, is a species of
coral fungus in the family
Clavariaceae.
Taxonomy
The species was first
described as ''Clavaria fusiformis'' by English botanist
James Sowerby in 1799, from collections made in
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band o ...
in London.
called it a
variety of ''Clavaria inaequalis'' in 1828.
It was transferred to ''
Clavulinopsis
''Clavulinopsis'' is a genus of coral fungi in the family Clavariaceae. The genus, first described scientifically by Casper van Overeem in 1923, has a widespread distribution.
The name means "having the appearance of ''Clavulina''".
Species
, ...
'' by
E.J.H. Corner
Edred John Henry Corner FRS (12 January 1906 – 14 September 1996) was an English mycologist and botanist who occupied the posts of assistant director at the Singapore Botanic Gardens (1929–1946) and Professor of Tropical Botany at the Univ ...
in 1950.
transferred it to ''Ramariopsis'' in 1978.
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''fusiformis'', derived from
Latin, means "spindle-shaped".
It is
commonly known variously as "golden spindles",
"spindle-shaped yellow coral",
or "spindle-shaped fairy club"
or, recently "French Fries Mushroom".
Description
The
fruit bodies
The sporocarp (also known as fruiting body, fruit body or fruitbody) of fungi is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne. The fruitbody is part of the sexual phase of a fungal life cyc ...
take the shape of bright yellow, thin clubs tall, with narrow, pointed tips. The firm and brittle
flesh, also yellow, becomes hollow in maturity. The
spores are broadly ellipsoid to roughly spherical, smooth, with dimensions of 5–9 by 4.5–8.5
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 ...
. They have an apiculus that measures 1–2 µm long, and either a large oil droplet or several oil droplets. The
basidia (spore-bearing cell) are club-shaped, measure 40–65 by 6–9 µm with a long cylindrical base that is 1.5–2.5 µm wide. It has a
clamp connection at the base. Most basidia are four-spored, although there are occasionally two- and three-spored versions.
The flesh comprises both inflated
hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one or ...
e up to 12 µm, and narrow hyphae up to 4 µm.
It is nonpoisonous,
and has been described as both
edible and inedible
in field guides. Fruit bodies are commonly collected and consumed in
Nepal,
where it is known locally as ''Kesari chyau''.
Similar species
''
Clavaria fragilis
''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 ''Clav ...
'' is similar in size and morphology, but is white. ''
Clavaria amoenoides
''Clavaria'' is a genus of fungi in the family Clavariaceae. Species of ''Clavaria'' produce basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that are either cylindrical to club-shaped or branched and coral-like. They are often grouped with similar-looking species ...
'' is similar in size, and like ''Clavulinopsis fusiformis'', grows in dense clusters, but it is much rarer.
It can be readily distinguished from ''C. fusiformis'' by microscopic examination, as it has inflated hyphae that lack clamp connections.
''
Clavulinopsis laeticolor
''Clavulinopsis laeticolor'' is a coral mushroom in the family Clavariaceae. It has fruit bodies with slender, bright orange to yellow arms up to tall and 3 mm wide. It fruits singly or in loose groups on the ground, often among mosses. A ...
'' is similar in color and form, but smaller, up to tall, lacks pointed tips, and tends to grow singly, scattered, or in loose groups.
Similarly, ''
C. helvola'' and ''
C. luteoalba'' have similar coloration, but are smaller and do not typically grow in clusters.
Habitat and distribution
''Clavulinopsis fusiformis'' is a
saprobic species.
Fruit bodies grow on the ground in loose to dense clusters and scattered troops in grassy areas and among moss.
In Asia, it has been reported from Iran,
China,
Nepal,
and Japan. It is also found in Europe and North America.
In China it is one of the dominant macrofungal species found in ''
Fargesia spathacea
''Fargesia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family. These bamboos are native primarily to China, with a few species in Vietnam and in the eastern Himalayas. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals, with common names including umb ...
''-dominated community forest at an elevation of .
Chemistry
The extract of ''Clavulinopsis fusiformis'' contains anti-B red blood cell
agglutinin
An agglutinin is a substance in the blood that causes particles to coagulate and aggregate; that is, to change from fluid-like state to a thickened-mass (solid) state.
Agglutinins can be antibodies that cause antigens to aggregate by binding t ...
.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10454939
Fungi described in 1799
Fungi of Asia
Fungi of Europe
Fungi of North America
Clavariaceae
Taxa named by James Sowerby