Clavarioid fungi

Since they are often studied as a group, it is convenient to retain the informal (non-taxonomic) name of "clavarioid fungi" and this term is frequently used in research papers.

It contained all species of fungi with erect, club-shaped or branched (coral-like) fruit bodies, including many that are now referred to the Ascomycota.

[1] With increasing use of the microscope in the late nineteenth century, most of the ascomycetous members of the genus were recognized as distinct and moved to other genera.

The spores are born on the sides of the clubs or branches and the spore-bearing surface is typically smooth or ridged, occasionally warted to weakly spiny.

Smaller genera of clavarioid fungi include Alloclavaria, Aphelaria, Artomyces, Chaetotyphula, Clavariachaete, Clavicorona, Clavulina, Ertzia, Lachnocladium, Lentaria, Lepidostroma, Multiclavula, Pterula, Scytinopogon, and Sulzbacheromyces.