The
clavarioid fungi are a group of
fungi in the
Basidiomycota typically having erect, simple or branched
basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called
club fungi and
coral fungi. Originally such fungi were referred to the
genus Clavaria ("clavarioid" means
Clavaria-like), but it is now known that clavarioid species are not all closely related. Since they are often studied as a group, it is convenient to retain the informal (non-taxonomic) name of "clavarioid fungi" and this term is frequently used in research papers.