Crown-tipped Coral Fungus
Artomyces pyxidatus
Artomyces pyxidatus is a coral fungus that is commonly called crown coral or crown-tipped coral fungus. Its most characteristic feature is the crown-like shape of the tips of its branches.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artomyces_pyxidatus
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Russulales
Family
Auriscalpiaceae
Genus
Artomyces
Crown-tipped Coral Fungus belongs to the family Auriscalpiaceae, order Russulales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Artomyces pyxidatus is a coral fungus that is commonly called crown coral or crown-tipped coral fungus. Its most characteristic feature is the crown-like shape of the tips of its branches. The epithet pyxidatus means "box-like"—a reference to this shape.
Crown-tipped Coral Fungus faces significant decline due to habitat loss from deforestation and forest fragmentation, which destroys the decaying hardwood substrates it depends on for survival. Climate change and altered precipitation patterns further threaten this species by disrupting the specific moisture conditions required for fruiting body development and spore dispersal.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
In eastern North America, A. pyxidatus appears on decaying wood from June to September. It is widespread but uncommon in Western Europe. They are also widely found in the pine forest of northeastern India, known as the "eight sisters of India".
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Crown-tipped Coral Fungus faces significant decline due to habitat loss from deforestation and forest fragmentation, which destroys the decaying hardwood substrates it depends on for survival. Climate change and altered precipitation patterns further threaten this species by disrupting the specific moisture conditions required for fruiting body development and spore dispersal.
Deforestation and habitat loss
Forest fragmentation
Loss of suitable decaying wood substrates
Air pollution and acid deposition
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Crown-tipped Coral Fungus (Artomyces pyxidatus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/crown-tipped-coral-fungus