Club Foot

Ampulloclitocybe clavipes, commonly known as the club foot or club-footed clitocybe, is a medium-sized basidiomycete fungus in the family Hygrophoropsidaceae. The common name refers to the distinctly swollen, club-shaped stipe base, which is the most readily identifiable feature of the species. The cap is convex to broadly funnel-shaped, grey-brown to tan, often with a darker center and paler margin. Gills are decurrent, running down the stipe, and are creamy white. This species grows in coniferous and mixed woodland across the northern hemisphere, forming saprotrophic or possibly ectomycorrhizal associations. Fruiting bodies appear in late summer through autumn, typically in groups or scattered among leaf litter and needle beds. A. clavipes is considered mildly toxic when consumed with alcohol, as it contains coprine or related compounds that cause acetaldehyde syndrome, similar to the reaction produced by Coprinoid mushrooms and the drug disulfiram. Consumption without alcohol may cause only mild gastrointestinal upset in some individuals. The species is widespread and classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.