Clavaria fragilis, commonly known as fairy fingers, white worm coral, or white spindles, is a species of fungus in the family Clavariaceae. It is synonymous with Clavaria vermicularis. The fungus is the type species of the genus Clavaria and is a typical member of the clavarioid or club fungi. It produces tubular, unbranched, white basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that typically grow in clusters. The fruit bodies can reach dimensions of 15 cm tall by 0.5 cm thick. Clavaria fragilis is a saprobic species, growing in woodland litter or in old, unimproved grassland. It is widespread throughout temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere, but has also been reported from Australia and South Africa. The fungus is edible, but insubstantial and flavorless. There are several other small white coral-like fungi with which C. fragilis may be confused.
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Clavaria fragilis has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
DNA specimens3
Marker genes1
GenBank sequences10
eDNA detections53
Countries10
The DNA barcodea real sequence read deposited for this species
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
★ITS10
fungal barcode
08Occurrence & distribution
Record type9 903 records
Wild obs. + sensor9 192
Museum / vouchered678
Other33
Range
Area of Occupancy AOO23 564 km²
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Coordinate accuracy64% within 1 km
≤100 m 3 913≤1 km 1 277≤10 km 2 616>10 km 309
8 115 georeferenced · 1 077 without coordinates
Open the mapobservation + sensor9 192
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Coordinate accuracy75% within 1 km
≤100 m 153≤1 km 115≤10 km 79>10 km 11
358 georeferenced · 320 without coordinates
Open the institutions mapphysical evidence678
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
10Collections & institutions
Holding institutions37 of 73 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
Institution
Specimens
Olocation not on record
77
Helsinki, FI
51
SLU Artdatabankenlocation not on record
33
Copenhagen, DK
31
23
Kew, GB
17
BDBClocation not on record
17
San Sebastián, ES
17
Trondheim, NO
16
TENN-Flocation not on record
14
Chapel Hill, US
14
Karlsruhe, DE
12
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)location not on record
12
Görlitz, DE
12
Oulu, FI
12
Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Researchlocation not on record
9
nsnflocation not on record
7
Uppsala, SE
7
LDlocation not on record
6
WU-MYClocation not on record
6
Catholic University of Pekinglocation not on record
6
Chicago, US
6
Museum Ludovicae Ulricae, Zoology Institute of the University of Uppsalalocation not on record
5
Tomioka, JP
5
Philadelphia, US
5
Toronto, CA
5
Université de Montréal Biodiversity Centrelocation not on record
5
Stockholm, SE
4
CJBGlocation not on record
4
Brisbane, AU
4
Turku, FI
3
UFSClocation not on record
3
KOMlocation not on record
3
JA-CAGPDS-CAMlocation not on record
3
Tilburg, NL
3
Champaign, US
2
Madison, US
2
TROMlocation not on record
2
Kensington, AU
2
Umeå Universitylocation not on record
2
GJOlocation not on record
2
Museo civico di Storia naturale Giacomo Doria di Genova | Giacomo Doria Natural History Museum in Genoalocation not on record
2
Bando, JP
2
WTUlocation not on record
2
Universidade de Lisboa, Museu Bocagelocation not on record
2
KNAMlocation not on record
2
Auckland, NZ
2
Mérida, ES
1
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarinalocation not on record
1
TUR-Alocation not on record
1
Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH)location not on record
1
Warsaw, PL
1
Jyväskylä, FI
1
Davis and Elkins Collegelocation not on record
1
Burlington, US
1
Brown Universitylocation not on record
1
Vancouver, CA
1
Acadia Universitylocation not on record
1
Joensuu, FI
1
PHlocation not on record
1
Gijón, ES
1
Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan Universitylocation not on record
1
Vitoria, ES
1
St. Paul, US
1
Tartu, EE
1
University of Warsawlocation not on record
1
National Mushroom Centre, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Bhutanlocation not on record
1
Göteborg, SE
1
Ann Arbor, US
1
CBDClocation not on record
1
Museo Entomologico de Leonlocation not on record
1
Lincoln, US
1
California State University, East Baylocation not on record
1
73 institutions · 507 of 678 vouchered records shown · 170 without an institution code
09Environmental DNA53 detections
Where the DNA of Clavaria fragilis was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Detections DNA found53
Studies independent surveys9
Countries10
Verifiable raw sequence linked5
Signal confidence: moderateweighed across independent studies, places & mapped detections
Where its DNA was found
0 of 53 detections have coordinates
Open the map10 countries0
PalearcticIndomalayan
How strong is each trace?
DNA read depthRead counts were not reported for this species — the map shows presence only, not how strong each trace was.
Measured at samplingin-field
pH5.60 5.20–5.70
Conductivity29.0 µS/cm 17.0–36.0
Organic carbon1.49 % 1.17–2.19
Water content16.7 % 13.7–20.4
Nitrate-N2.00 mg/kg
Phosphorus13.0 mg/kg 5.00–22.0
Clay15.1 % 11.1–38.3
Sand67.8 % 30.5–73.6
Depth0.2 m 0–0.2
SoilTenosolsKurosol
3 samples with on-site data · median with range · describes the sample, not the organism
Modelled climatemodelled
−15°Ctemperature across detection sites+40°C
Temperature median17.2 °C 7.70–25.7
Seasonal swing summer↔winter14.8 °C
Max temp (day)20.1 °C 12.5–30.6
Min temp (night)12.9 °C 4.00–20.8
Precipitation91.4 mm/mo 56.8–163
Air humidity61.4 % 57.6–63.6
Moisture balance15.6 mm/mo -88.7–26.4
Vapour deficit765 Pa 380–1,286
Wind speed2.20 m/s 1.60–5.30
Cloud cover44.0 % 23.9–54.2
CHELSA 1981–2010, ~9 km grid, at location & month of 51 detection points · median with p10–p90 · reflects where sampling happened, not only the true niche
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.