I think there are a few different Golden Spindles fungi, this one I think is Clavulinopsis laeticolor because of it’s size. The latin name means “joyfully colored” although when I came upon this fungus for the first time, my first thought was “what is that weird thing coming out of the ground?”
Size: 1-5 cm tall Family: Clavariaceae (Coral fungi family) Habitat: In woodlands, among mosses or leaves on the forest floor. Identification: This coral fungi tends to grow singly, or in small loose clusters, unlike other similar fungi. You'll spot it mid to late winter, and since there's not much color that time of year, it's pretty easy to see. From mushroomexpert.com: "cylindrical and unbranched; sometimes somewhat flattened, or with a groove or a twist; dry; bald; bright orange or yellow"
