 Mutinus elegans is saprobic — deriving nutrients by breaking down dead or dying organic matter . It is commonly found in gardens and farm areas enriched with manure , near well @-@ decayed stumps and logs , and in wood chips . A Japanese publication mentioned its occurrence in Takatsuki and Osaka @-@ fu , where it fruited in November and December on the ground along paths or in open spaces , under or near bamboo ( Phyllostachys bambusoides ) and hardwoods such as the Sawtooth Oak , the Japanese Zelkova , and the Camphor tree . 
