''Multiclavula'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

basidiolichen Basidiolichens are lichenized members of the Division (taxonomy), division Basidiomycota within the subkingdom Dikarya of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Fungus, Fungi. They form a diverse yet much smaller group of lichens than the far more commo ...

s in the family

Hydnaceae The Hydnaceae are a family of fungi in the order Cantharellales. Originally the family encompassed all species of fungi that produced basidiocarps (fruit bodies) having a hymenium (spore-bearing surface) consisting of slender, downward-hanging ta ...

. The widespread genus contains 14 species.Reschke, K., Lotz-Winter, H., Fischer, C.W., Hofmann, T.A., Piepenbring, M., 2021. New and interesting species of Agaricomycetes from Panama. Phytotaxa 529, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.529.1.1 The genus was

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

by the American mycologist

Ron Petersen Ronald H. Petersen, more commonly known as Ron Petersen, born in 1934, is a mycologist and professor emeritus at the University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloq ...

in 1967, with '' Multiclavula corynoides'' assigned as the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

Description

The genus ''Multiclavula'' includes basidiolichen fungi known for their small, clavarioid (club-shaped) fruiting bodies, typically reaching up to 3 cm in height and 2 mm in thickness. These structures are generally either unbranched or have sparse branches and come in colours ranging from white to various shades of straw, ochre, or orange. The texture of these fruiting bodies is tough when fresh but becomes brittle once dry. Internally, the fungi consist of contextual

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 o ...

e, which are fungal filaments running parallel and densely packed towards the base, becoming looser towards the top. These hyphae, which make up the main body of the fruiting structures, can be thin-walled or slightly thicker, often branch out and connect with each other (

anastomosing An anastomosis (, : anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection may be normal (suc ...

), and may possess small bridge-like structures known as

clamps Clamp may refer to: Tools and devices *Brick clamp, an early method of baking bricks *Clamp (tool), a device or tool used to hold objects in a fixed relative position (many types listed) **C-clamp **C-clamp (stagecraft) **Riser clamp, a device u ...

. However, not all specimens will have these clamps, and the hyphae can occasionally stick together (agglutinated) without significant swelling. Beneath the surface layer, subhymenial hyphae run parallel to the contextual hyphae but are typically thinner and straighter, branching off to produce

basidia A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...

(spore-producing cells) as lateral extensions. These basidia are short and somewhat thick, with poorly developed outgrowths (

sterigmata In biology, a sterigma (: sterigmata) is a small supporting structure. It commonly refers to an extension of the basidium (the spore-bearing cells) consisting of a basal filamentous part and a slender projection which carries a spore at the tip ...

) from which spores are released. The

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

of ''Multiclavula'' fungi are varied in shape, from ovoid to elongated, and have thin walls. They can contain no s () to multiple guttules or appear granular internally, while always remaining smooth and appearing white in

spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing warm orange ("tussock") color spore print. ...

Species

*'' Multiclavula caput-serpentis'' *''

Multiclavula clara ''Multiclavula'' is a genus of basidiolichens in the family Hydnaceae. The widespread genus contains 14 species.Reschke, K., Lotz-Winter, H., Fischer, C.W., Hofmann, T.A., Piepenbring, M., 2021. New and interesting species of Agaricomycetes from ...

'' *'' Multiclavula constans'' *'' Multiclavula coronilla'' *'' Multiclavula corynoides'' *'' Multiclavula delicata'' *'' Multiclavula hastula'' *'' Multiclavula ichthyiformis'' – Costa Rica *'' Multiclavula mucida'' *'' Multiclavula petricola'' – Japan *'' Multiclavula pogonati'' *'' Multiclavula samuelsii'' – New Zealand *'' Multiclavula sharpii'' *''

Multiclavula vernalis ''Multiclavula vernalis'' or the orange club-mushroom lichen is a species of clavarioid fungus in the Clavulinaceae (club-mushroom lichen) family. It was originally named as a species of '' Clavaria'' in 1822 by Lewis David de Schweinitz. Ronal ...

'' Several species once classified in ''Multiclavula'' have since been transferred to other genera. These include: *''Multiclavula afflata'' = '' Lentaria afflata'' *''Multiclavula akagerae'' = '' Ertzia akagerae'' *''Multiclavula calocera'' = '' Lepidostroma calocerum'' *''Multiclavula fossicola'' = '' Sulzbacheromyces fossicolus'' *''Multiclavula rugaramae'' = '' Lepidostroma rugaramae'' *''Multiclavula sinensis'' = '' Sulzbacheromyces sinensis''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6934609 Hydnaceae Lichen genera Agaricomycetes genera Taxa named by Ron Petersen Basidiolichens Taxa described in 1967