The
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
''Ramaria'' comprises approximately 200
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
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 diarrhea; these include ''
R. formosa'' and ''
R. pallida''. Three ''Ramaria'' species have been demonstrated to contain a very unusual organoarsenic compound homoarsenocholine.
Etymology
The genus name is derived from
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
''rāmus'' meaning ''branch''.
Description
Basidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome, or basidioma () is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do no ...
s may range in color from bright yellow, red, pink, or orange, to purple, white, and shades of tan. Color changes after bruising occur in some species.
The
spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...
s of ''Ramaria'' species are yellow-brown to rusty-brown in mass deposit and range from smooth to warted to
echinulate or
striate. Spore size may vary considerably, and ornamentation, when present, is