Ramaria araiospora

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Ramaria araiospora
Ramaria araiospora 581171.jpg
Status TNC G4.svg
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Gomphales
Family: Gomphaceae
Genus: Ramaria
Species:
R. araiospora
Binomial name
Ramaria araiospora
Marr & D.E.Stuntz (1974)
Ramaria araiospora
Information icon.svg
Smooth icon.pngSmooth hymenium
No cap icon.svgNo distinct cap
NA cap icon.svg Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable
Bare stipe icon.svg Stipe is bare
Mycorrhizal fungus.svgEcology is mycorrhizal

Ramaria araiospora, commonly known as the red coral, is a coral mushroom in the family Gomphaceae. First described in 1974, it is found in North America and the Himalayas. It is sold as food in local markets in Mexico.

Contents

Taxonomy

The species was first described scientifically by mycologists Currie Marr and Daniel Stuntz in their 1974 monograph, "Ramaria of western Washington". The holotype was collected in 1967 in Pierce County, Washington. Marr and Stuntz also published the variety rubella, which was originally collected in 1967 about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Elbe, Washington. Ramaria araiospora is classified in the subgenus Laeticolora of Ramaria . [2] The mushroom is commonly known as the "red coral". [3]

Description

The fruit bodies typically measure 5–14 cm (2–5+1⁄2 in) tall by 2–10 cm (3⁄4–4 in) wide. [4] There is a single, somewhat bulbous stipe measuring 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄8 in) long by 1.5–2 cm (5⁄8–3⁄4 in) thick, [4] which is branched up to six times. The branches are slender, usually about 1–5 mm (1⁄16–3⁄16 in) in diameter, while branches near the base are thicker, up to 4 cm (1+5⁄8 in) thick. The terminal branches are forked or finely divided into sharp tips. The context is fleshy to fibrous in young specimens, but becomes brittle when dried. The branches are red initially, fading to a lighter red in maturity, while the base, including the stipe, is white to yellowish-white. Branch tips are yellow. When dried, fruit bodies become yellowish white in the base and dull red in the branches. The fruit bodies have no distinctive taste or odor. [2]

In deposit, the spores are white, cream, or yellowish. They are somewhat cylindrical, ornamented with lobed warts, and measure 9.9 by 3.7  μm. The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are club-shaped, one- to four-spored (although four spores is most typical), and have dimensions of 43–75 by 7–12 μm. [2] The variety rubella differs from the main type in having slightly more "bluish or crimson" branches in mature specimens, and slightly smaller basidia that measure 30–70 by 6–10 μm. [2]

Similar species

Ramaria stuntzii is similar in appearance, with a larger base, reddish-orange branches below, and is amyloid (unlike R. araiospora). [4] R. cyaneigranosa is also similar, varying mostly in microscopic details. [5]

Faded specimens could be confused with the toxic R. formosa . [3]

Habitat and distribution

Although it is not known with certainty, the species is probably mycorrhizal. [6] Fruit bodies grow on the ground singly or scattered, under conifers, especially western hemlock, [2] and deciduous trees, particularly tanoak. [6] Fruiting usually occurs in September and November. [7] The species is primarily known from the Pacific Northwest region of North America, although it (or a very similar, undescribed species) has been reported from Kansas. [6] Variety rubella has been collected in the eastern Himalayas [8] and Mexico. [9]

Edibility

The fruit bodies might be edible, [3] but can result in an upset stomach. [10] In the Villa del Carbón municipality of Mexico, where they are known locally as patitas de pájaro ("bird's legs"), patitas temblonas ("trembling legs"), or patitas rojas ("red legs"), the fungi are favored for their fleshy consistency, mild flavor, and abundance. They are usually sold in lots averaging 480 grams (17 oz) (containing about 15 fruit bodies), at a price between $10 and 20 USD. [11]

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe. "Ramaria araiospora". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Marr CD, Stuntz DE (1973). Ramaria of Western Washington. Bibliotheca Mycologica. Vol. 38. Lehre, Germany: von J. Cramer. pp. 55–7.
  3. 1 2 3 Arora D. (1986) [1979]. Mushrooms Demystified: A Comprehensive Guide to the Fleshy Fungi (2nd ed.). Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. p. 655. ISBN   978-0-89815-170-1.
  4. 1 2 3 Davis, R. Michael; Sommer, Robert; Menge, John A. (2012). Field Guide to Mushrooms of Western North America. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 294–295. ISBN   978-0-520-95360-4. OCLC   797915861.
  5. ↑ Trudell, Steve; Ammirati, Joe (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, OR: Timber Press. pp. 245–246. ISBN   978-0-88192-935-5.
  6. 1 2 3 Kuo M. (April 2007). "Ramaria araiospora". MushroomExpert.com. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  7. ↑ Phillips R. "Ramaria araiospora var. araiospora". RogersMushrooms. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
  8. ↑ Thind KS, Sharma RM (1985). "Genus Ramaria in the eastern Himalaya – subgenus Laeticolora". Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences. 95 (4) 271: 271–81. doi:10.1007/BF03053262. ISSN   0370-0097. S2CID   133874319.
  9. ↑ Pérez-Ramírez L, Villegas M, Cifuentes J (1986). "Description of little-known macrofungi in Mexico". Revista Mexicana de Micologia (in Spanish). 2: 251–8. ISSN   0187-3180.
  10. ↑ Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 350. ISBN   978-1-55407-651-2.
  11. ↑ Aguilar-Cruz Y, Villegas M (2010). "Especies de Gomphales comestibles en el municipio de Villa del Carbon Estado de Mexico" [Edible Gomphales from Villa del Carbon municipality, Estado de Mexico]. Revista Mexicana de Micologia (in Spanish). 31: 1–8.
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