Ramariopsis kunzei
Encyclopedia
Ramariopsis kunzei is an edible
species of coral fungi in the Clavariaceae
family, and the type species
of the genus Ramariopsis
. It is commonly
known as white coral because of the branched structure of the fruit bodies that resemble marine coral. The fruit bodies are up to 5 cm (2 in) tall by 4 cm (1.6 in) wide, with numerous branches originating from a short rudimentary stem. The branches are one to two millimeters thick, smooth, and white, sometimes with yellowish tips in age. Ramariopsis kunzei has a widespread distribution, and is found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
in 1821. E.J.H. Corner transferred the species to Ramariopsis
in 1950, and made it the type species
. In general, coral fungi often have extensive taxonomic
histories, as mycologists have not agreed on the best way to classify them. In addition to Clavaria
and Ramariopsis
, the R. kunzei has been placed in the genera Ramaria
by Lucien Quélet
in 1888, and Clavulinopsis
by Walter Jülich in 1985. According to the taxonomic database MycoBank
, the species has acquired a sizable list of synonyms, listed in the taxobox. It is commonly
known as white coral because of the branched structure of the fruit bodies that resemble marine coral.
A phylogenetic analysis of clavarioid fungi
concluded that R. kunzei is in a phylogenetic lineage together with several Clavulinopsis
species (including C. sulcata, C. helvola and C. fusiformis), and that this clade
(the ramariopsis clade) is nested within a group of species representing the Clavariaceae
family.
of Ramariopsis kunzei are white to whitish-yellow in color, and are highly branched structures resembling coral; the dimensions are typically up to 8 cm (3.1 in) tall and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide. Older specimens may have a pinkish tinge. The tips of the branches are blunt, not crested as in some other species of coral fungi, like Clavulina cristata
; branches are between 1 and 5 millimeters thick. The branch tips of mature specimens may be yellow. A stem
, if present, may be up to 1 cm (0.393700787401575 in) long and scurfy—covered with small flakes or scales. The texture of the flesh
may range from pliable to brittle. This fungus does not undergo any color changes upon bruising or injury, however, a 10% solution of FeSO4
(a chemical test
known as "iron salts") applied to the flesh will turn it green.
In deposit
, the spores are white. Viewed with a light microscope, the spores
are translucent
and have an ellipsoid to roughly spherical shape with spines on the surface, and dimensions of 3–5.5 by 2.5–4.5 µm
. Spores are non-amyloid
, meaning that they do not absorb iodine
when stained with Melzer's reagent
. The spore-bearing cells, the basidia, are usually 25–45 µm long by 6–7 µm wide, and 4-spored. Clamp connection
s are present in the hypha
e of this species.
, but "fleshless and flavorless." Other authors concur that the odor and taste are not distinctive.
, edible) is similar in appearance to R. kunzei, but its branches have fringed, feathery tips. The "jellied false coral" (Tremellodendron pallidum, edible) has whitish, tough, cartilaginous branches with blunt tips.
, or less frequently on well-decayed wood. Fruit bodies may grow singly, in groups, or clustered together. David Arora
has noted a preference for growing under conifers, as well as a prevalence in redwood forests of North America. In contrast, an earlier author claimed this species grows "rarely in coniferous woods."
In Europe, Ramariopsis kunzei has been collected in Scotland (specifically, on the islands of Arran
, Gigha
and Kintyre
peninsula), the Netherlands, Norway, former Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, and Russia (Zhiguli Mountains
). It has also been found in China, India, Iran, the Solomon Islands
, and Australia. In North America, the distribution extends north to Canada, and includes the United States (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico).
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
species of coral fungi in the Clavariaceae
Clavariaceae
The Clavariaceae are a family of fungi in the Agaricales order of mushrooms. The family contains 7 genera and 120 species. Collectively, they are commonly known as coral fungi due to their resemblance to aquatic coral, although other vernacular names including antler fungi, finger fungi, worm mold,...
family, and the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of the genus Ramariopsis
Ramariopsis
Ramariopsis is a genus of fungi in the Clavariaceae family. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains 44 species.- Species :R. agglutinata –R. alutacea –R. antillarum –R. asperulospora –...
. It is commonly
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
known as white coral because of the branched structure of the fruit bodies that resemble marine coral. The fruit bodies are up to 5 cm (2 in) tall by 4 cm (1.6 in) wide, with numerous branches originating from a short rudimentary stem. The branches are one to two millimeters thick, smooth, and white, sometimes with yellowish tips in age. Ramariopsis kunzei has a widespread distribution, and is found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Taxonomy and phylogeny
The species was first described as Clavaria kunzei by pioneer mycologist Elias Magnus FriesElias Magnus Fries
-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
in 1821. E.J.H. Corner transferred the species to Ramariopsis
Ramariopsis
Ramariopsis is a genus of fungi in the Clavariaceae family. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains 44 species.- Species :R. agglutinata –R. alutacea –R. antillarum –R. asperulospora –...
in 1950, and made it the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
. In general, coral fungi often have extensive taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
histories, as mycologists have not agreed on the best way to classify them. In addition to Clavaria
Clavaria
Clavaria is a genus of fungi in the family Clavariaceae. Species of Clavaria produce basidiocarps that are either cylindrical to club-shaped or branched and coral-like. They are often grouped with similar-looking species from other genera, when they are collectively known as the clavarioid fungi...
and Ramariopsis
Ramariopsis
Ramariopsis is a genus of fungi in the Clavariaceae family. The genus has a widespread distribution and contains 44 species.- Species :R. agglutinata –R. alutacea –R. antillarum –R. asperulospora –...
, the R. kunzei has been placed in the genera Ramaria
Ramaria
The genus Ramaria comprises approximately 200 species of coral fungi. Several, such as Ramaria flava, are edible and picked in Europe, though they are easily confused with several mildly poisonous species capable of causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; these include R. formosa and R...
by Lucien Quélet
Lucien Quélet
thumb|Lucien QuéletLucien Quélet was a French mycologist and naturalist who discovered several species and was the founder of the Société mycologique de France, a society devoted to mycological studies....
in 1888, and Clavulinopsis
Clavulinopsis
Clavulinopsis is a genus of fungi in the Clavariaceae family. The genus, first described scientifically by Casper van Overeem in 1923, has a widespread distribution and contains 33 species.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...
by Walter Jülich in 1985. According to the taxonomic database MycoBank
MycoBank
MycoBank is an online database, documenting new mycological names and combinations, eventually combined with descriptions and illustrations. It is run by the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures fungal biodiversity center in Utrecht....
, the species has acquired a sizable list of synonyms, listed in the taxobox. It is commonly
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
known as white coral because of the branched structure of the fruit bodies that resemble marine coral.
A phylogenetic analysis of clavarioid fungi
Clavarioid fungi
The clavarioid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota typically having erect, simple or branched basidiocarps that are formed on the ground, on decaying vegetation, or on dead wood. They are colloquially called club fungi and coral fungi...
concluded that R. kunzei is in a phylogenetic lineage together with several Clavulinopsis
Clavulinopsis
Clavulinopsis is a genus of fungi in the Clavariaceae family. The genus, first described scientifically by Casper van Overeem in 1923, has a widespread distribution and contains 33 species.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...
species (including C. sulcata, C. helvola and C. fusiformis), and that this clade
Cladistics
Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...
(the ramariopsis clade) is nested within a group of species representing the Clavariaceae
Clavariaceae
The Clavariaceae are a family of fungi in the Agaricales order of mushrooms. The family contains 7 genera and 120 species. Collectively, they are commonly known as coral fungi due to their resemblance to aquatic coral, although other vernacular names including antler fungi, finger fungi, worm mold,...
family.
Description
The fruit bodiesSporocarp (fungi)
In fungi, the sporocarp is a multicellular structure on which spore-producing structures, such as basidia or asci, are borne...
of Ramariopsis kunzei are white to whitish-yellow in color, and are highly branched structures resembling coral; the dimensions are typically up to 8 cm (3.1 in) tall and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide. Older specimens may have a pinkish tinge. The tips of the branches are blunt, not crested as in some other species of coral fungi, like Clavulina cristata
Clavulina cristata
Clavulina cristata, commonly known as the white coral fungus or the crested coral fungus, is a white- or light-colored edible coral mushroom present in temperate areas of the Americas and Europe...
; branches are between 1 and 5 millimeters thick. The branch tips of mature specimens may be yellow. A stem
Stipe (mycology)
thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...
, if present, may be up to 1 cm (0.393700787401575 in) long and scurfy—covered with small flakes or scales. The texture of the flesh
Trama (mycology)
In mycology trama is a term for the inner, fleshy portion of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or fruit body. It is distinct from the outer layer of tissue, known as the pileipellis or cuticle, and from the spore-bearing tissue layer known as the hymenium....
may range from pliable to brittle. This fungus does not undergo any color changes upon bruising or injury, however, a 10% solution of FeSO4
Iron(II) sulfate
Iron sulfate or ferrous sulfate is the chemical compound with the formula FeSO4. Known since ancient times as copperas and as green vitriol, the blue-green heptahydrate is the most common form of this material...
(a chemical test
Chemical tests in mushroom identification
Chemical tests in mushroom identification are methods that aid in determining the variety of some fungi. The most useful tests are Melzer's reagent and potassium hydroxide.- Ammonia :Household ammonia can be used. A couple of drops are placed on the flesh...
known as "iron salts") applied to the flesh will turn it green.
In deposit
Spore print
thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; cap removed after 24 hours showing pinkish-tan spore print...
, the spores are white. Viewed with a light microscope, the spores
Basidiospore
A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by Basidiomycete fungi. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are produced by specialized fungal cells called basidia. In grills under a cap of one common species in the phylum of...
are translucent
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
and have an ellipsoid to roughly spherical shape with spines on the surface, and dimensions of 3–5.5 by 2.5–4.5 µm
Micrometre
A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...
. Spores are non-amyloid
Amyloid
Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates sharing specific structural traits. Abnormal accumulation of amyloid in organs may lead to amyloidosis, and may play a role in various neurodegenerative diseases.-Definition:...
, meaning that they do not absorb iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
when stained with Melzer's reagent
Melzer's Reagent
Melzer's reagent is a chemical reagent used by mycologists to assist with the identification of fungi.-Composition:...
. The spore-bearing cells, the basidia, are usually 25–45 µm long by 6–7 µm wide, and 4-spored. Clamp connection
Clamp connection
A clamp connection is a structure formed by growing hyphal cells of certain fungi. It is created to ensure each septum, or segment of hypha separated by crossed walls, receives a set of differing nuclei, which are obtained through mating of hyphae of differing sexual types...
s are present in the hypha
Hypha
A hypha is a long, branching filamentous structure of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium; yeasts are unicellular fungi that do not grow as hyphae.-Structure:A hypha consists of one or...
e of this species.
Edibility
The species is edibleEdible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
, but "fleshless and flavorless." Other authors concur that the odor and taste are not distinctive.
Similar species
The "crested coral" (Clavulina cristataClavulina cristata
Clavulina cristata, commonly known as the white coral fungus or the crested coral fungus, is a white- or light-colored edible coral mushroom present in temperate areas of the Americas and Europe...
, edible) is similar in appearance to R. kunzei, but its branches have fringed, feathery tips. The "jellied false coral" (Tremellodendron pallidum, edible) has whitish, tough, cartilaginous branches with blunt tips.
Habitat and distribution
The species is thought to be saprobic and can be found growing on the ground, in duffForest floor
The forest floor, also called detritus, duff and the O horizon, is one of the most distinctive features of a forest ecosystem. It mainly consists of shed vegetative parts, such as leaves, branches, bark, and stems, existing in various stages of decomposition above the soil surface...
, or less frequently on well-decayed wood. Fruit bodies may grow singly, in groups, or clustered together. David Arora
David Arora
David Arora is an American mycologist, naturalist, and writer. He is the author of two popular books on mushroom identification, Mushrooms Demystified and All That the Rain Promises and More.......
has noted a preference for growing under conifers, as well as a prevalence in redwood forests of North America. In contrast, an earlier author claimed this species grows "rarely in coniferous woods."
In Europe, Ramariopsis kunzei has been collected in Scotland (specifically, on the islands of Arran
Isle of Arran
Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
, Gigha
Gigha
The Isle of Gigha is a small island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of about 150 people, many of whom speak Scottish Gaelic. The climate is mild with higher than average sunshine hours and the soils are fertile.Gigha has a...
and Kintyre
Kintyre
Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...
peninsula), the Netherlands, Norway, former Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, and Russia (Zhiguli Mountains
Zhiguli Mountains
The Zhiguli Mountains or simply Zhiguli , sometimes called Zhiguli Height - Жигулëвская возвышенность [Zhigulyovskaya vozvyshennost], are a range of wooded mountains located in Russia on the right bank of the Volga River, in the Samara bend. The mountains are an important source of oil, being...
). It has also been found in China, India, Iran, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, and Australia. In North America, the distribution extends north to Canada, and includes the United States (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico).