Thelephorales

Thelephorales is an order of fungi within the Basidiomycota. These fungi are typically found in wooded areas, growing on the ground. Their fruiting bodies are usually black to brown, and their hyphae commonly possess clamp connections. Genera within this order include Thelephora, Bankera, and Polyozellus. The family Thelephoraceae, which belongs to the order Agaricales, is characterized by leathery or membranous sporophores with smooth or corrugated basidial surfaces. Fungi, as a kingdom, are ancient organisms with origins dating back about one billion years. They are distinct from plants and animals, primarily differing in their mode of nutrition, as fungi excrete digestive enzymes and absorb externally digested nutrients.123