Fungal Find

Day 50: There are far too many orange or pink/orange Ramaria species in the Pacific Northwest which are almost identical in outward appearance, and my skill with the microscope is probably not good enough to sort them out, but that doesn't prevent me from admiring their graceful forms. It should be obvious why they are generically called "coral fungi," and some can be told apart by the way the tips branch (but of course that can be tricky depending on what growth phase they are in). Some are edible. Some are not. Both my conscience and my confidence keep me from temptation. In any event, as I was meandering through the ferns to reach yesterday's geocache, I passed this lovely specimen by without taking a photo, saying as I did so, "I bet I can't find it again." I should have known better, because when I put myself on auto-pilot, I invariably retrace my steps with amazing precision regardless of the terrain. After finding the cache, I began working my way back to the car. "Oh, there it is!" I said, having put my foot down on the same patch of moss I'd stepped on earlier, and even if I don't know the exact species, this fungal find was a perfect companion for my geocaching find.

Ramaria Araiospora

Day 357: Unique to the Pacific Northwest, the Himalaya and for reasons obscure to science, Kansas, Ramaria araiospora is the most spectacular of all the Coral fungi. The holotype (the specimen from which the species was described botanically) was collected in 1967 from a location only a few miles from my home. I feel a little proprietary about this lovely fungus, and consequently get a little testy when someone asks, "Is it edible?" The answer is yes, but I'll sidestep the question whenever possible and might even respond with, "Why would you want to destroy something so beautiful?" I do not understand the human compulsion to taste everything. Surely that instinct should have been deemed unnecessary to our genome by the time Ugg and Ogg left their cave. By then, Homo sap had discovered its vulnerability to poisons and was having no particular difficulty surviving on Nature's provender, and some members of the species were even beginning to develop a sense of aesthetics, painting the walls of their shelters with images of animals and geometric designs. The feast Ramaria araiospora provides the eye is one which nourishes our need for beauty. Its caloric value is negligible when placed on the table. To me at least, the choice between its two merits is clear.

Ramaria

Day 338: Would-be mushroom hunters be warned: while many wild fungi are edible, it often takes chemical testing or microscopic examination of the spores to differentiate one species from another. For example, I know that this is a Ramaria, i.e., one of the Coral fungi often found around Mount Rainier and elsewhere in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. However, it could be R. botrytis, R. subbotrytis, R. formosa or even an aged specimen of R. araiospora, now faded to pink. Your narrator lacks the expertise to tell them apart, and with mushrooms, unless you are "105%" certain of a species identification, erring on the side of caution is mandatory. Many of the Coral fungi contain toxins, and while some people may not react to them, others may respond with mild to severe symptoms of mushroom poisoning. In other words, if you aren't positive of a species, do NOT eat it.

Just as a reminder, per 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 2.1 with respect to Mount Rainier National Park, "Edible fungi (mushrooms) - collection of the above is for personal consumption and shall be no more than one (1) gallon per person, per day."

Freaky Fungus Foray

Day 361: As I walked out the door for my lunch break yesterday, I announced to selected colleagues that I was going on a Freaky Fungus Foray with the specific goal of seeing if Ramaria araiospora rubella had popped up under the encouragement of recent rains. This brilliant red version of Coral is uncommon, and the holotype (the specimen from which the species description was derived) was taken two miles south of Elbe, not far from Mount Rainier National Park. I have found it in only one location in the Park, and after first discovering it several years ago, I did not see it again until last year. On yesterday's walk, I was rewarded with two emerging specimens, each about three inches on the longest dimension, found in the same drainage where I had seen it previously. I patrolled further up the drainage, but found no other examples.

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.