About this fungus
Yellow Staghorn is a fungus in the Dacrymycetaceae family. Its habitat and field characteristics are summarised below.
A bright yellow to orange jelly fungus shaped like small branching antlers. It grows in compact tufts from decaying conifer wood, which may be buried beneath moss or litter.
What to check
Look for smooth, forked branches with pointed tips and a tough, rubbery, gelatinous texture rather than the dry brittle flesh of true coral fungi. Trace the base to conifer wood if possible. There are no gills, pores, cap, ring or volva.
Variation
Young fresh branches are usually clear golden yellow. Older or drier growth can become deeper orange, and crowded tufts may be densely branched rather than forming a few open antlers.
Lookalikes
True coral fungi in Ramaria and Clavulinopsis usually grow from soil and have dry, brittle flesh. Small Stagshorn, Calocera cornea, is much smaller and is usually simple or only sparsely forked on broad-leaved twigs. Other orange wood-growing jelly fungi form lobes or cushions rather than upright antlers.
Habitat and range
Saprotrophic on decaying conifer wood, especially stumps, logs and buried roots. Apparent growth from soil should prompt a search for hidden wood. It is widely recorded in Europe and also occurs in other temperate regions.
Food safety
Inedible.
Photographs
Dohduhdah / Public Domain
Jörg Hempel; crop by Waugsberg / CC BY-SA 2.0 deSpecies to compare
Similar mushrooms to compare against: