Gomphus clavatus
The fruit body is vase- or fan-shaped with wavy edges to its rim. The upper surface or cap is orangish-brown to lilac, while the lower spore-bearing surface, the hymenium, is covered in wrinkles and ridges rather than gills or pores. It has become rare in many parts of Europe and extinct in the British Isles.
About Gomphus clavatus in brief
Gomphus clavatus, commonly known as pig’s ears or the violet chanterelle, is an edible species of fungus. The fruit body is vase- or fan-shaped with wavy edges to its rim, and grows up to 15–16 cm wide and 17 cm tall. The upper surface or cap is orangish-brown to lilac, while the lower spore-bearing surface, the hymenium, is covered in wrinkles and ridges rather than gills or pores. Described by Jacob Christian Schäffer in 1774, G. clavatus has had several name changes and many alternative scientific names, having been classified in the genus Cantharellus, though it is not closely related to them. Although widespread, it has become rare in many parts of Europe and extinct in the British Isles. It has been placed on the national Red Lists of threatened fungi in 17 different European countries and is one of 33 species proposed for international conservation under the Bern Convention. It is associated with tree species in a variety of coniferous genera, particularly spruces and firs, and is more common at elevations of greater than 2,000 ft, in moist, shady areas with plenty of leaf litter.
The specific epithet—derived from the Latin word clava and meaning ‘club-shaped’—refers to the shape of young fruit bodies. In 1796, mycologist Christian Hendrik Persoon described it as Merulius clavatu, noting that it grew in grassy locations in woods. British botanist Samuel Frederick Gray used Persoon’s name, transferring it to the genus GomphUS in 1821. As it was the first named member of the genus it became the type species. The starting date of fungal taxonomy had been set as January 1, 1821, to coincide with the date of the works of Swedish naturalist Elias Magnus Fries, which meant the name required sanction by Fries to be considered valid. A 1987 revision of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature set the starting date at May 1, 1753, thedate of publication of the Species Plantarum, by Linnaeus. The name no longer requires the ratification of Fries’ authority.
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This page is based on the article Gomphus clavatus published in Wikipedia (as of Oct. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
