Crown Coral Agar Plate

$29.99

Looking for the best Crown Coral Agar Plate around? Our Agar Plates are made-to-order, providing you with the absolute cleanest, aggressive mycelium on arrival.

Species Artomyces pyxidatus
Difficulty ℹ️ ????
Spore Coloration White
Ecology Saprotrophic
Edibility Edible

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.

Artomyces pyxidatus can be observed throughout Northern Canada during the growing season. In Britain, it was recorded in 2011, almost 116 years after its previous reliable report, a collection made by mycologist Carleton Reale on 20 October 1886. Two subsequent records have been provided in Britain since 2011; one by Yvonne Davidson in Kent in 2018, and one by Cameron Ambler in East Sussex in 2021. 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.”[citation needed]

The fungus produces its hard, coral-like fruiting bodies on decaying wood. The colour ranges from cream to semi-tan. The branches rise in ringlike arrangements resembling a crown. Basidia and basidiospores are produced on the surfaces of the branches.

These fungi are considered edible when raw, but are better cooked.

Some images on this page are sourced from iNaturalist under CC-BY-SA3.0, taken by Fluff Berger, Nova Patch, mycowalt, Owen VanAntwerpen, or others.

Frequently Asked Questions

An agar plate is a petri dish with solidified nutrient solution (I make mine with light malt extract, generally). The dish is sealed with parafilm to keep it sterile while the transfer colonizes the plate. The mycelial bodies grow on our agar plates in sterile incubators before being shipped to you!

Keep your agar plates ideally in the fridge, within a ziplock bag. Let them come to room temperature before opening them – it’ll prevent condensation!

Grab your scalpel and get to work! Need a scalpel? Check my gear page!

Slides from agar plates can be propagated onto other mediums very easily. The beauty of agar plates is the ability to be absolutely certain that your sample is healthy and clean!

Some photos on this page have been sourced from iNaturalist or Wikipedia, taken mark-groeneveld, Alan Rockefeller, Matthew Borella, Denis Zabin, kaju, Andrey Loria, Juan Carlos Pérez Magaña or others not yet added to this list. See a photo your recognize that isn’t properly credited? Get a giftcard for letting us know!

Sometimes, contam happens! All of our samples come with a 30 day replacement policy. Please head to our Help Center to get the process started.

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All of my agar plates are made-to-order. This ensures that you have nothing but the freshest, most voracious mycelium when it gets to your doorstep.

Please check for your individual species on this page to see colonization times.

If you’re interested in ordering agar plates and other items like liquid culture, or mushroom spores, you can have your order shipped in two by adding this item!

Please note that once started, Agar Plates are non-refundable or returnable.

For each agar plate in your order, you’ll receive a healthy, colonized agar plate, and an additional piece of parafilm in case you need to reseal it.

Can’t wait to get your hands on your spore syringes or liquid cultures? Head over to our help center to get the most up to date information on your order.

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Crown Coral Agar Plate
$29.99

Availability: In stock