Assessment Notes

Justification

Craterellus carolinensis is an endemic species of the USA. The core of its range appears to be in Tennessee and North Carolina, but there are other records in eastern USA. It is unlikely to approach the conditions for listing as threatened under any criterion and so is assessed as Least Concern.

---

Geographic range

The type collection of this species was from Macon County, North Carolina, USA (Petersen 1969), and the range of the species has been considered to be Tennessee and North Carolina (Kuo 2015). However, it is also considered a common species of Florida (Hall et al. 2023), and GBIF (2023) also includes other records from eastern USA. Tentatively records to the south of this core range in the southern Appalachians are included in this assessment, but more northern records are excluded; but further research (including genetic studies) is warranted to better delimit the true distribution of this species.

---

Population and Trends

If the species does occur across the full potential range then it is likely to have a very large population size. If records outside the southern Appalachians are in error then the population size could be a lot smaller, but given the wide availability of suitable habitat, which appears to be predominantly stable then the population size would still likely number in the thousands based on Dahlberg and Mueller (2011) calculations.

For this assessment the wider range is assumed, and a population decline is suspected; although the rate of decline is uncertain given the limited data regarding primary forest loss. However, it is tentatively suspected that rates of decline would not be large enough to warrant listing under a high threat category under criterion A.

Population Trend: Decreasing

---

Habitat and Ecology

This species has been noted as growing on woody material, including 'deep woody humus' (Petersen 1969). No specific plants were noted as potential hosts.

---

Threats

There is a degree of forest cover loss within its potential range (see World Resources Institute 2023), but to what extent this is primary forest loss is unknown (per World Resources Institute 2023) and this could represent logging of silviculture land. The main centre of its, currently reported, distribution in the southern Appalachians remains relatively unaffected (see World Resources Institute 2023). Research to investigate its potential distribution would be beneficial to ascertain to what extent the species may be impacted by land clearance for activities such as agriculture.

---

Conservation Actions

There are several Protected Areas in the southern Appalachians at and around the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, which appears to be the core part of the species' range; so it is likely that it occurs in at least some of these. Studies are needed to investigate the full distribution of the species and should include genetic studies involving specimens outside of the core range. Investigations should also try to ascertain the overall impact of certain threats, such as logging, to the persistence of the species.

---

Use and Trade

Mushrooms of this genus are generally considered edible, but specific use/trade information for this species is unknown.

---

Source and Citation

Westrip, J.R.S. 2025. Craterellus carolinensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T269706855A269706857. Accessed on 22 November 2025.

---

• Country occurrence