Cudonia confusa

Description

Cudonia confusa is a species of fungus in the family Cudoniaceae. It forms slimy or sticky club-shaped fruit bodies with cinnamon to reddish-brown "head". Found in Asia, China, Korea, and Europe, where it usually grows in tufts in coniferous forests. The species was first described scientifically in 1898 by Italian mycologist Giacomo Bresadola.

Cudonia circinans is similar in appearance, but its stalk is not the same color as its head.

Common names: Cinnamon Jellybaby.

Mushroom Identification

1. Fruit Body

   The cap 1.5-2 (3) cm in diameter, convex or prostrate-depressed, uneven, tuberculate-wavy, with an edge, turned down, dry on top, slightly sticky in wet weather, matte, yellow-brown, light brownish, beige, leathery, reddish, creamy whitish, pinkish brownish, reddish brownish, sometimes with dark reddish brown spots. Uneven, rough at the bottom, wrinkled closer to the stem, matte, creamy.

2. Stem

   Th stem 3-5 (8) cm long and about 0.2 cm in diameter, widened at the top, longitudinally pitted, wrinkles continue from the underside of the cap, often flattened, curved, hollow inside, one-colored with a cap or lighter than it, brownish, pinkish- brownish, darker below with pale-yellow fine-grained patina.

3. Flesh

   Thick, loose in the cap, thin, fibrous in the stem, whitish, odorless.

4. Habitat

   From mid-July to mid-September (mass in late August - early September), in coniferous forests (with spruce), on litter, in moss, in crowded groups, in circles.

Photo sources:

Photo 1 - Author: marcofloriani (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 2 - Author: nschwab (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 3 - Author: ethanmgilmore (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Photo 4 - Author: timendez (CC BY-NC 4.0)