Thelephora anthocephala

Under broadleaf trees or conifers, on bare soil among moss, with coralloid fruit bodies having branches growing from a common base or trunk, up to 6 cm in height, reddish-brown, with pointed, whitish tips, soft and pliable consistency, without noticeable odor, and mild in taste.

Monomitic hyphal system composed of thin- to moderately thick-walled hyphae, 4 to 7 µm in diameter, arranged more or less parallel to interwoven, those of the cortical layer of the supporting stipe with very abundant brownish intracellular pigment, context hyphae more hyaline, septate, with clamp connections.

Without cystidia or other sterile elements in the hymenium.

Basidia cylindric-clavate, 50 to 65 µm long, 10 to 12 µm wide, with basal clamp connections and two or four sterigmata (2- or 4-spored).

Spores subspherical to ovoid, yellowish-brown under the microscope, with spines up to 1.5 µm high, 6.5 to 9.5 µm long excluding ornamentation, 6 to 8 µm wide, with a prominent hyaline apiculus at one end, and generally containing oil droplets inside.

Herbarium material available: JTP2600/25.