Goldenthread Cordyceps

Tolypocladium ophioglossoides

Also called: Goldenthread Cordyceps, Truffle-Eater, Snake-Tongue Cordyceps

Overview

Olive-black to dark-brown club emerging from the duff, connected by bright YELLOW mycelial cords (the 'goldenthread') to buried Elaphomyces (deer truffle) hosts. Eastern hardwood forests under oak, beech, and hemlock — Aug–Oct. Finding the yellow rhizomorphs tracing down to a hard, warty subsurface truffle confirms the species. Formerly Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides.

Edibility

Tea / extract only

Rarity

uncommon

Trophic mode

mycoparasitic

Typical peak

Sep

Season

Aug–Oct — typical fruiting months: Aug, Sep, Oct.

Host trees & substrate

Buried Elaphomyces under oak/beech/hemlock

Where it grows

Appalachian Highlands
Northeast
Upper Midwest / Great Lakes
Southeast Coastal Plain
Pacific Northwest
Great Plains
Texas
Rocky Mountains
Desert Southwest
Sierra Nevada & Nor-Cal

See live fruiting predictions for Goldenthread Cordyceps on the forecast home page, or browse the full field guide.

Always confirm wild-mushroom identification with multiple sources and a knowledgeable local expert before consuming. Read the foraging safety guide.