Ramaria rasilispora

Appearance

The fruit bodies are large and broad, measuring 5–15 cm tall and 6–15 cm wide. They originate from a single thick, conical stem measuring 3–6 cm long by 2.5–5.5 cm wide; this base is branched up to seven times, and the branches are themselves polychotomously or dichotomously branched. The branches are smooth and cream to pale yellow in color, except in young specimens that lack coloration. Primary branches are thick, from 2 to 4 cm in diameter, while upper branches are usually 0.2 to 1.5 cm thick. The context is fleshy to fibrous, but when dry has a consistency similar to bendable chalk. In young fruit bodies, the stipe and lower branches are whitish to light yellowish. Upper branches are light orange to apricot-yellow, maturing to a pale grayish-orange. Branch tips are initially the same color as the branch, but darken to brown in maturity or when dry. Fruit bodies have no distinctive taste or odor.

Spores are cylindrical, with a surface texture ranging from smooth to finely warted, and measure 8–11 by 3–4 μm. The basidia are club-shaped, two- to four-spored , and measure 47–60 by 8–10 μm.

The variety ''Ramaria rasilispora'' var. ''scatesina'' differs from the main type in the color of its fruit bodies, which, in both young and mature specimens, have branches that range from yellowish-white to light yellow.

The fruit bodies are edible mushroom, and "quite popular", according to David Arora, who reports its use raw in salads, or candied like grapefruit rinds. Some people report a negative reaction to eating the mushroom. The fungi are sold in traditional markets in the Mexican municipalities of Ozumba and Chalco.

Distribution

The fruit bodies of ''Ramaria rasilispora'' grow on the ground in coniferous forests. Fruiting occurs in spring and summer. Common in western North America, its range extends south to Mexico. Variety ''scatesina'', originally collected in coniferous forests of Idaho, has since been reported growing in a deciduous forest in the eastern Himalaya.

Habitat

The fruit bodies of ''Ramaria rasilispora'' grow on the ground in coniferous forests. Fruiting occurs in spring and summer. Common in western North America, its range extends south to Mexico. Variety ''scatesina'', originally collected in coniferous forests of Idaho, has since been reported growing in a deciduous forest in the eastern Himalaya.