''Ramaria fennica'', commonly known as the bitter coral, is a

coral mushroom The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the ''Basidiomycota'' typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps (fruit bodies) that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fun ...

in the family

Gomphaceae The Gomphaceae are a diverse family of fungi belonging in what is classically known as the Phallales or cladistically as the ''gomphoid-phalloid clade''. The family has 13 genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biologi ...

. It is found in Australia, Europe and North America.

Taxonomy

Petter Karsten Petter Adolf Karsten (16 February 1834 – 22 March 1917) was a Finnish mycologist, the foremost expert on the fungi of Finland in his day, and known in consequence as the "father of Finnish mycology". Karsten was born in Merimasku near Turku, s ...

first described the species in 1868 under the name ''Clavaria fennica'', based on collections made in Finnish

fir Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...

woods. Adalbert Ricken transferred it to the genus ''

Ramaria 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, vomi ...

'' in 1920. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

''fennica'' refers to Finland, where the original collections were made. It is commonly known as the "bitter coral".

Description

The

fruit body In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the Ovary (plants), ovary after flowering plant, flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their ...

consist of numerous branches that arise from usually two to four large primary upright branches, which themselves originate from a single thick, fleshy base; the overall dimensions of the fruit body are tall by wide. Unlike many larger species of ''Ramaria'', ''R. fennica'' fruit bodies are usually taller than they are wide. The surface of the branches is smooth, and they can range in color from olive-grey to olive-

umber Umber is a natural brown earth pigment that contains iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural form, it is called raw umber. When Calcination, calcined, the color becomes warmer and it becomes known as burnt umber. Its name derives from '' ...

to smokey-yellow, grayish-tan, or yellow brown. The primary branches are darker–olive-brown tinged with violet in young specimens. The thick and fleshy stalk is white below, with color becoming the same as the branch color in the upper part of the stem. The

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as mu ...

is white, firm, and brittle. ''Ramaria fennica'' produces a pale yellowish-tan

spore print 300px, Making a spore print of the mushroom ''Volvariella volvacea'' shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print. A 3.5-centimeter ...

Spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

s are elliptical, covered with tiny spines, and measure 5.5–8 by 3–4.5

μm The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American spelling), also commonly known as a micron, is a unit of length in the International System of Unit ...

. The edibility of the coral is not known with certainty, but its sometimes bitter taste and thin flesh make it unappealing.

Similar species

'' Ramaria fumiosiavellanea'' is similar in coloration, but has a much reduced stem.

Habitat and distribution

Fruit bodies grow on the ground singly, scattered, or in groups, often with

tanoak ''Notholithocarpus densiflorus'', commonly known as the tanoak or tanbark-oak, is a broadleaf tree in the family Fagaceae, and the type species of the genus ''Notholithocarpus''. It is native to the far western United States, particularly Oregon ...

(in North America). A generally uncommon species, it sometimes fruits prolifically. It is also known from Europe and Australia.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q10561627 Gomphaceae Fungi described in 1868 Fungi of Australia Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Taxa named by Petter Adolf Karsten Fungus species