Ramaria rasilispora

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***Ramaria rasilispora***, commonly known as the **yellow coral**, is a coral mushroom in the family Gomphaceae. Described as new to science in 1974, it is found in western North America south to Mexico, and in the eastern Himalaya.

## Taxonomy

The species was first described scientifically in 1974 by American mycologists Currie Marr and Daniel Stuntz. The specific epithet *rasilispora* is derived from the roots *rasil-* (shaved, scraped, or worn smooth) and *spora* (spore). It is commonly known as the "yellow coral".

## Description

 File:Ramaria rasilispora 149149 crop.jpg
The fruit bodies are large and broad, measuring Template:Convert tall and Template:Convert wide. They originate from a single thick, conical stem measuring Template:Convert long by Template:Convert wide; this base is branched up to seven times, and the branches are themselves polychotomously (multiply) or dichotomously (divided into two) branched. The branches are smooth and cream to pale yellow in color, except in young specimens that lack coloration. Primary branches are thick, from Template:Convert in diameter, while upper branches are usually Template:Convert 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 (spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped, two- to four-spored (most have four spores), 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.

## Habitat and 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.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Marr 1974`
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Arora 1986`
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Pérez-Moreno 2008`
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Laferriere 1992`
5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Sharma 1986`

## External links

* Template:IndexFungorum

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