Rucheng coral fungus

A newly described coral fungus

Clavulina ruchengensis X.F. Liu & P. Zhang was described as a new species in 2024. Morphological examination and a combined ITS and nrLSU phylogeny supported its placement in Clavulina; the three studied specimens formed a supported lineage. MycoBank records the name as 851419. The genus belongs to Hydnaceae, Cantharellales. As a recent taxon, this name may be absent from older lists.

The epithet refers to Rucheng County, Hunan Province, where the type specimen was collected. Its reported range at publication was Hunan. A 2026 Chinese edible-fungi checklist also includes the species, but a compiled classification is not a new taxonomic study or toxicology assessment.

Form and habitat

The fruit bodies are coral-like and clustered. Ash-gray branches reach about 3–6 cm tall and 1–3 cm wide, with sharply pointed, crested dark-brown tips and relatively long white to gray-white stipes. The recorded habitat is humus over soil under mixed forest. These are scientific-description characters rather than a lay field key. Similar Clavulina taxa are compared in the description, and dependable identification may require microscopic and molecular evidence.

Season and documented place

Fruiting is recorded in summer, specifically June. The type and two additional vouchers were collected on 22 June 2020 in Rucheng County, Hunan. This evidence covers one county and one collection date, not a full seasonal calendar. Published coordinates appear geographically inconsistent with the named county; the record is therefore mapped at county level without a coordinate pin. No other confirmed locality was found in the reviewed sources.

Reported local food use

The species is classified as edible, and local residents are reported to collect and cook it. A figure caption identifies collected and cooked specimens, but no recipe, preparation protocol, frequency of consumption, or clinical safety assessment is given. The 2026 Chinese checklist is further evidence of an edible classification, not proof that every specimen or population is safe.

Safety and limits

No species-specific toxicology data or universal safe preparation method was located. The paper's photographs, checklist label and local-use report are not identification approval. Distinguishing this fungus from related Clavulina taxa uses a combination of macroscopic, microscopic and DNA evidence. Do not eat a wild coral fungus based on this page, a photograph, or a checklist entry. Poison-control guidance warns that cooking cannot be relied upon to neutralize poisonous mushrooms. This account is not a field key or food-safety guarantee.

Fermentation context

The reviewed sources document collection and cooking as food but no fermentation, preservation, or commercial ingredient preparation using this species. No fermentation use is claimed.