Corals in the North Woods?

If you've been diving or snorkeling on a coral reef, you'd be forgiven for doing a double-take when prancing through the woods of Wisconsin and stumbling upon some live coral or sponge.  What you'd actually be seeing, of course, are coral fungi.  These "mimics" of sessile sea animals are collectively known as the clavarioid fungi, though they aren't all closely related to each other and don't represent any kind of unified taxon or clade.  We can't even call them mimics (thus the quotes I used earlier), since there is no evolutionary advantage to terrestrial fungus looking like corals or vice versa.  These are just fungi that happen to look a lot like corals.  (I think the appearance of most of them is more reminiscent of sponges, but that's another story.)

Clavicorona pyxidata in Sleepy Hollow State Park, Michigan.

Clavicorona pyxidata again.  You'll find this species always on wood, usually willow, birch, or aspen.  These two were on an aspen log.

Not certain what this is.  Leaning toward Ramaria sp.  Found on the ground under conifers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Clavulinopsis fusiformis on Stockton Island, Wisconsin.  (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore)

Clavulina amethystina on Stockton Island, Wisconsin.  (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore)

Again, thinking this is Ramaria sp.  Ground dweller spotted in Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin.  (Along the North Country Trail)

Clavicorona sp. (pyxidata?) on an old log in Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin.  (Along the North Country Trail.)