Summary:
Thelephora anthocephala is not commonly identified in the Pacific Northwest and is very variable in form, with a stem (usually), giving rise to branches that vary from leafy to branched-clavarioid, the texture thin-leathery, and the color red-brown to purple-brown with white growing edges. The type variety has a mild odor. The description below is from Corner(4) for the type variety except where otherwise stated. Var. clavularis has the clavarioid form, var. americana has "the incipient stereoid form with widely flabelliform lower branches", var. anthocephala has "the reduced stereoid form", and var. incrustans-resupinata (France) has the "incipient resupinate" form (Corner(4) p. 5).

Chemical Reactions:
trama is not cyanescent in KOH and the subhymenium is cyanescent or not in KOH

Odor:
"inparticular or none" (var. anthocephala), foetid - ?in all cases - it is not certain whether really foetid or merely so in decay (var. americana)

Microscopic:
spores (7)8-10(11) x (5)6-8.5 microns, "angular lobate", purplish umber, spines 0.5-1.5(2) microns long, with 1 droplet; basidia 2-4-spored, 40-80 x 7-11 microns, sterigmata 5-7 microns long; cystidia none; hyphae 2-6 microns wide, with clamp connections

Notes:
The distribution of this species in the type variety is given in Ginns(5) as QC, AK, IA, KY, LA, MA, MO, NC, NY, OH, and PA, but for var. anthocephala, Corner just gives the distribution "North Temperate", for var. clavularis "Europe, Canada, U.S.A., Japan" and for var. americana "Canada, U.S.A, Mexico, Japan, China". There are collections designated Thelephora anthocephala from BC at the University of British Columbia.