Clavariaceae.org
Clavulinopsis subgenus Donkella (stat. prov.)
This provisional subgenus (based on the genus Donkella typified by Cu. corniculata) contains the type and other closely related species. Note that Petersen's Ramariopsis subgenus Donkella (Petersen 1978) included the species below as well as what I place in subgenus Acularia. Most are branched but there is at least a western North American and a New Zealandian? New Zealandic? Kiwi? species that does not branch (typically at least). The pigments in this group are apparently phenolic and may be associated with the oily to farinaceous and bitter tastes we well as the macrochemical reactions. No other subgenus forms regularly branched fruiting bodies (though many may demonstrate the occasional irregular fork or branch becoming somewhat standard in the Australasian Clavulinopsis archeri) but the simple species are difficult to place.
Petersen noted that microscopic mounts of specimens of Clavulinopsis simplex exude a ochre-brown pigment in 3% KOH instead of the bright yellow pigments released by otherwise similar looking looking yellow species in subgenus Acularia (Petersen 1988) with round spores. A western North American simple species described below exhibits the same pigmentation reaction and is probably responsible for reports of Clavulinopsis fusiformis from that region as they both share similar round spores and yellow (but not the same yellow) coloration. This seems to be a decent character that makes screening preserved specimens relatively easy, but perhaps only for the yellow species. I have not tested this in Cu. umbrinella and likely will not hold true to color but perhaps exude a greyish pigment?
This subgenus is likely circumglobal, but molecular data is entirely missing for any tropical specimens unfortunately.
The most commonly used name here will definitely be Clavulinopsis corniculata, a name almost as old as binomial nomenclature itself. It has been widely applied to what seems to be a relatively homogenous group of related species, though the exact number of species is unclear. Otherwise Clavulinopsis umbrinella (or more accurately several Cu. umbrinellae) is in this subgenus and almost certainly also are Cu. dichotoma and Cu. subtilis.
Phylogeny Reconstructed using the ITS Region
Note that (with all the phylogenies at this point) refinement could change some of the fine scale topology and hopefully future versions will be a little bit tidier when possible. Note that the biological entities are not always tidy and somethings (like the residual Cu. corniculata) may be messy because the biology is messy. Either way, this subgenus would benefit from additional data.
Click on the taxa labels on the right to go directly to its section.
Clavulinopsis corniculata complex
This name is liberally applied to regularly branched species with colors ranging in the yellowish tan-dull yellow-egg yolk yellow-ochraceous yellow spectrum. Coloration is influenced by moisture but some discrete color variants may correlate with some species in the complex. Additionally, variation in spore size, sterigamatal number (predominantly 2-spored fruiting bodies, presence of clamps (some 2-spored species are completely devoid of clamps and may be asexual), and odor (some are farinaceous) has been previously noted (Petersen, 1967, 1968; Petersen & Olexia, 1967; Kautmanová et al., 2012) and these traits may be taxonomically informative.
The name has been epitypified with European material which should aid in sorting this group out (Kautmanová et al., 2012) though only a LSU sequence from this specimen has been published so it is not present in the phylogeny above.
Kautmanová et al. (2012) provide a very thorough synonym in an appendix since there are many available names for species in this complex dating back to the work of Linnaeus. Of interest in North America are two species and one variety described by Peck: C. fellea Peck, C. peckii Sacc. (a replacement name for C. similis Peck nom. illeg.), and C. muscoides var. obtusa Peck. The first two are noted as having large spores while the later variety has small spores. Some of these names could see themselves revived for some of the North American clades outlined below but a much better understanding of the diversity in this group is needed.
Clavulinopsis corniculata IN01
This species is represented by four collections from Indiana exhibiting an overall spindly appearance and a pleasantly straw colored to dull yellow coloration. Beyond that, I don't really know much. I imagine it is widely distributed and have some collections pending sequencing that sure do look like these but not sure if the form and color are sufficient colors for determination.
Distribution: Currently known only from Indiana but likely more widely distributed
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | corniculata IN01 | 2300 | - | USA-IN | Need | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | corniculata IN01 | 66545 | - | USA-IN | ON650109.1 | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | corniculata IN01 | OSF2020-291. 82676 | - | USA-IN | OM473813.1 | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | corniculata IN01 | iNat64174636 | - | USA-IN | Need | Certain |
Clavulinopsis corniculata IN02
The observation from Indiana appears very similar to IN01 but there may be some differences to be discovered under the microscope or maybe some macromorphological clues can be divined with more sampling and careful comparison.
Distribution: Indiana and Tennessee so far.
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | corniculata IN02 | OSF2021-771. 00868 | - | USA-IN | OM972550.1 | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | corniculata IN02 | SAT0921720 | TENN064106 | USA-TN | KP257145.1 | Certain |
Clavulinopsis corniculata NN01
This may be the western representative of Cu. corniculata (if there is only one regularly branched species) but the only sequences currently available are from the rocky mountains. In fact, the coastal species could be entirely different. More well documented western collections with sequences are desperately needed.
Distribution: Colorado and Idaho.
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | corniculata NN01 | SAT9923015 | WTU-F-067496 | USA-CO | Need | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | corniculata NN01 | RHP1879 | TENN-F-032223 | USA-ID | Need | Certain |
Clavulinopsis corniculata residual sequences
Here is a mess of a bunch of presumably yellowish branched things that seem pretty unsortable with as much information as there is now. Much more sampling needs to be performed before these mostly European representatives can be sorted out. There are also representatives from China and North America (Pennsylvania and New York, specifically). Perhaps some of the truly stout and dense morphologies are represented here.
Distribution: Europe, North America, and Asia.
Specimens in this group.
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | HBAU15682 | HBAU15682 | - | MW862359.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | EL268_11 | - | - | Need | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | GG221005 | - | - | Need | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | EBL13382 | - | - | Need | ||
Clavulinopsis | sp. | TUF117793 | TUF117793 | Estonia | UDB0781094 | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | TUF137355 | TUF137355 | Italy | UDB07674377 | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata f. bispora | AMB 18573 | AMB 18573 | Italy | MT055953.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | AMB 18572 | AMB 18572 | Italy | MT055952.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | FDS05291 | FDS05291 | USA-NY | ON129343.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | corniculata complex | iNat 92935394 | - | USA-PA | Need |
Clavulinopsis holmskjoldii
The is perhaps the most distinct species in this group and perhaps the rarest. To my knowledge it has been found only in the Netherlands and, incredulously, Idaho. If not for the purplish-pink tips and anise odor I would think that this is surely an erroneous identification. It very well may be that these are two different, but closely related species. We will need it to be found more than once or twice a century for us to find out any time soon!
Distribution: The Neatherlands and Idaho?!
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | holmskjoldii | RHP4116 | TENN-F-036641 | USA-ID | Need | Possibly |
Clavulinopsis sp. CA01/CA03
The is one or two simple to really really trying to branch a little bit species that can be confused with Cu. fusiformis or Cu. laeticolor, two species with brighter coloration, but the former is not present on the west coast and has brighter yellow colors and the later is typically smaller, reacts yellow-green in 10% KOH (though more specimens need to be tested) as opposed to orange, and has completely different spores. The colors and KOH reaction are very reminiscent of Cu. corniculata and I wonder if more branched specimens will be found.
These two species hypotheses are combined here as they are pretty close but the relationship is unclear with pairwise similarity ~99-98.7% between CA01 and CA03 sequences available so far. The MO 308221 collection seems even more distant but still close and further sampling (as usual) will almost certainly clarify this group.
Distribution: California and Oregon so far. Possibly extending up the coast.
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA03 | 2600 | - | USA-CA | Need | Possibly | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA01/03? | MO 308221 | MO 308221 | USA-CA | MG926554.1 | Possibly | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA01 | CM23-00351 | - | USA-CA | Need | Possibly | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA01 | iNat 147689103 | - | USA-CA | OR162455.1 | Possibly | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA01 | BD150 | - | USA-CA | Need | Possibly | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA01/03? | Trappe22091 | OSC60882 | USA-OR | Need | Possibly |
Clavulinopsis sp. CA02
This is very similar in appearance to the above species and I do not currently know how to differentiate it but have not examined any of the specimens. Collection 02623 is quite striking int hat it appears it could be an albino former of an otherwise white species.
Distribution: So far only known from California.
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA02 | 2623 | - | USA-CA | OR168813.1 | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA02 | 270624 Alan Rockefeller | - | USA-CA | MG926556.1 | Certain | |
Clavulinopsis | sp. CA02 | iNat 19901249 | - | USA-CA | MK640605.1 | Certain |
Clavulinopsis umbrinella
This is the blander, and rare, cousin of of the Cu. corniculata complex completely lack yellow tones, opting for grey-beige coloration. Collections attributed to this species with white coloration are likely due to confusion with Cu. dichotoma and Cu. subtilis. This species along with Cu. dichotoma and Cu. holmskjoldii all react blue with guaiac tincture while Cu. subtilis does not (Petersen 1971). Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is appearing in multiple locations in the ITS phylogeny implying the are a multitude of species hiding in this bland description. Clavulinopsis cineroides is a name available for a grey North American species.
Distribution: Europe with NN01 in North America (see below)
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | umbrinella | DJH20-20 | DJH20-20 | - | MW685504.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | umbrinella | GG021204 | - | - | Need | ||
Clavulinopsis | umbrinella | HFRG_EJ191214_3_FRDBI 17588114 | HFRG_EJ191214_3_FRDBI 17588114 | UK-England | OQ133539.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | umbrinella | DJH22-100 | DJH22-100 | UK-Wales | OQ875816.1 |
Clavulinopsis umbrinella NN01
This is a pale (near white) branched species that may be Cu. subtilis or Cu. dichotoma or at least something close to these. These two ITS sequences differ by only 2 C-T transitions.
Distribution: Indiana and Tennessee
Verified Occurrences
Click on the collections below to see link to verified observations (if applicable on iNaturalist or Mushroom Observer).
Genus | species | Type | Collection | Herbarium | Location | ITS Genbank | Certainty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavulinopsis | umbrinella NN01 | PUL00038771 | PUL00038771 | USA-IN | MK607506.1 | ||
Clavulinopsis | umbrinella NN01 | JMB08101202 | TENN-F-067527 | USA-TN | Need |
Non-exhaustive list of other species possibly or likely in this subgenus
?Clavulinopsis alcicronis - pink, Australia
Clavulinopsis dichotoma - white, Europe
Clavulinopsis simplex - pale yellow, New Zealand
Clavulinopsis subtilis - white, Europe
Literature Cited:
Kautmanová, I., Adamčík, S., Lizoň, P., & Jančovičová, S. (2012). Revision of taxonomic concept and systematic position of some Clavariaceae species. Mycologia, 104(2), 521–539.
Petersen, R. (1967). Type studies in the Clavariaceae. Sydowia, 21, 105–122.
Petersen, R. (1968). The Genus Clavulinopsis in North America. Hafner Publishing Company.
Petersen, R. (1971). Notes on Clavarioid fungi—IX. Addendum to Clavulinopsis in North America. Persoonia, 6(2), 219–229.
Petersen, R. H. (1988). The Clavarioid Fungi of New Zealand. Science Information Pub. Centre, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Petersen, R., & Olexia, P. (1967). Type Studies in the Clavarioid Fungi. I. The Taxa Described by Charles Horton Peck. Mycologia, 59(5), 767–802. https://doi.org/10.2307/3757192