Fruit-body medium to large, simple or branched and usually growing on the ground; one large species grows on wood 7 6. Fruit-body arising from a seed-like body embedded in the plant-tissue or found loose in the soil _Typhula_ Fruit-body on dead plant-remains but seed-like structure absent _Pistillaria_ 7. Fruit-body much branched; spores ornamented (see also _Thelephora_ below) _Ramaria_ Fruit-body simple or if with well-developed branches then spores smooth 8 8. Fruit-body branched irregularly with many to few branches, grey, white or drab-coloured; spores large, subglobose and smooth _Clavulina_ Fruit-body club-shaped or if branched then brightly coloured and spores not large and subglobose _Clavaria_, _Clavulinopsis_ & _Clavariadelphus_ 9. Fruit-body resembling an agaric with spores borne on fold-like, often forked and shallow ridges and veins, and often brightly coloured _Cantharellus_ (compare carefully with _Craterellus_ below) Fruit-body funnel-shaped or fan-shaped 10 10. Fruit-body often drab colour or greyed with smooth or slightly veined outer surface _Craterellus_ Fruit-body wrinkled, irregular or smooth and powdery, lilaceous to chocolate-brown in colour _Thelephora_ 11. Fruit-body sessile or resupinate and fleshy; spores borne on veins united to form shallow pores 12 Fruit-body resupinate or bracket-like, and spore-surface veined or rugulose but lacking distinct pores 13 12. Spores colourless _Merulius_ Spores brown _Serpula_ 13. Spore-bearing layer containing long, brown spines _Hymenochaete_ Fruit-body lacking spines although often having encrusted sterile cells 14 14. Surface of fruit-body more or less radiately veined _Phlebia_ Surface of fruit-body not radiately veined 15 15. Spores brown _Coniophora_ Spores colourless 16 16. Flesh distinctly formed and fruit-body with or without a well formed cap _Stereum_ & related genera