coral fungi

Description:

Basidiocarps may range in color from bright yellow, red, or orange, to purple, white, and shades of tan. Color changes after bruising occur in The spores of Ramaria species are yellow-brown to rusty-brown in mass deposit and range from smooth to warted to echinulate or striate; spore size may range considerably, and ornamentation, when present, is cyanophilous

Habitat:

Some species of coral growing on the forest floor needle into the undergrowth. The tufts are usually arranged in fairy rings and can be found from late autumn to winter. Other species are on the ground or tree trunks in deciduous and coniferous forests, from midsummer to autumn.

Notes:

The genus Ramaria comprises approximately 200 species of coral fungi Several, such as Ramaria flava, are edible and picked in Europe, though they are easily confused with several mildly poisonous species capable of causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; these include R. formosa and R. pallida