Appearance
The fruit bodies produced by the fungus are 7 to 15 cm wide and 6 to 20 cm tall. They are fleshy cauliflower-like masses with a stout central stem that splits into a few lower primary branches before branching densely above.The stem is short and thick—between 1.5 and 6 cm in diameter—and tapers downward. Initially white, in age both the stem and branches turn pale yellow to buff to tan. Old fruit bodies can fade to become almost white, or may be ochre due to fallen spores.
The branching pattern is irregular, with the primary branches few and thick—typically 2–3 cm —and the final branches slender, and usually terminated with five to seven branchlets. The branchlet tips are pink to purplish-red. The flesh is solid and white, and has an odor described variously as indistinct or pleasant.
Distribution
''Ramaria botrytis'' is found in Africa , Australia, Asia and Europe. It is also present in Mexico and in Guatemala. Widely distributed in North America, it is most common in the southeast and along the Pacific Coast.The variety ''R. botrytis'' var. ''aurantiiramosa'', limited in distribution to Lewis County, Washington, associates with Douglas fir and western hemlock. Variety ''compactospora'' is known from Sardinia, Italy, where it has been found growing in sandy soil in forests comprising strawberry tree, tree heath, and holm oak.
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