Alloclavaria is a clavarioid

Clavarioid fungi

The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fungi and coral fungi...

 genus in the Hymenochaetales

Hymenochaetales

The Hymenochaetales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order in its current sense is based on molecular research and not on any unifying morphological characteristics. According to one 2008 estimate, the Hymenochaetales contain around 600 species worldwide, mostly corticioid...

 recently segregated from Clavaria

Clavaria

Clavaria is a genus of fungi in the family Clavariaceae. Species of Clavaria produce basidiocarps that are either cylindrical to club-shaped or branched and coral-like. They are often grouped with similar-looking species from other genera, when they are collectively known as the clavarioid fungi...

by molecular analysis. Phylogenetically related fungi are in the agaricoid genera Rickenella

Rickenella

Rickenella is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses on mossy soils, peats, tree trunks and logs in temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres...

, Contumyces

Contumyces

Contumyces is a genus of brightly colored bryophilous agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology, and therefore were previously classified in Omphalina. They inhabit mossy silty or sandy soils in the Northern Hemisphere...

, Gyroflexus

Gyroflexus

A monotypic genus with a yellowish-ivory colored omphalinoid agaric in the Hymenochaetales that grows on living Sphagnum Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella, Blasiphalia, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Contumyces, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera Muscinupta and ...

, Loreleia

Loreleia

Loreleia is a genus of brightly colored agarics in the Hymenochaetales that have an omphalinoid morphology. They inhabit mosses and or liverworts on soil in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

, Cantharellopsis

Cantharellopsis

Cantharellopsis is a tan- to whitish-colored bryophilous monotypic genus in the Agaricales. The fruit bodies of the single species Cantharellus prescottii has a form intermediate between an Omphalina and a chanterelle because of its forked, fold-like gills. It inhabits moss on calcareous soils in...

and Blasiphalia

Blasiphalia

Blasiphalia is a monotypic genus with a honey colored omphalinoid agaric in the Hymenochaetales that grows with the liverwort genus Blasia Phylogenetically related agarics are in the genera Rickenella, Gyroflexus, Loreleia, Cantharellopsis and Contumyces, as well as the stipitate-stereoid genera...

, as well as the stipitate stereoid genera Cotylidia

Cotylidia

Cotylidia is a fungal genus characterized by small to moderately sized, white to palely- yet brightly-colored, stalked, fan-shaped to funnel-shaped fruitbodies with a smooth to wrinkled hymenium, tissues composed of monomitic hyphae, basidia producing smooth, nonamyloid spores, the absence of...

and Muscinupta

Muscinupta

Muscinupta is a fungal genus that produces small white delicate fan-shaped to cupulate fruitbodies on mosses. It is monotypic, containing the single species Muscinupta laevis...

. The only species as yet placed in Alloclavaria is the type, formerly known as Clavaria purpurea under which name it is often cited or illustrated.http://www.capsandstems.com/Clavaria_purpurea.htmhttp://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/fungi/basidiomycotina/cantharellales/clavariaceae/clavaria/purpurea-1.jpg. It is suspected, via circumstantial evidence, i.e. habitat, but not proven, that Alloclavaria is mycorrhizal

Mycorrhiza

A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....

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Etymology

Etymology

Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...

Alloclavaria means "the other Clavaria", a reference to the fact it was segregated from Clavaria which was shown to be a member of the Agaricales

Agaricales

The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms , or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13000 described species, along with five extinct genera known only from the fossil record...

 through phylogenetic analysis of the DNA

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...

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