Red Coral, Ramaria Araiospora

Day 25: Let's settle one thing right now: other than a slight adjustment to brightness and contrast (and I'm talking very minor), this image has not been retouched, and it had the precise effect of a stoplight in the forest when I spotted it. I checked up short and said, "WHAT the **** is THAT?!?!?"

I have identified this as Ramaria araiospora, a member of the family of coral fungi. As such, it is not common. There were several colonies of it growing in one area just off the Trail of the Shadows at Longmire, but none as shockingly visible as this specimen. It is the first of its kind that I have encountered, although other corals occur quite frequently in our forests. Purportedly edible, I would never dream of picking such an unusual species.