Image of Ramaria neoformosa R. H. Petersen 1976

Description:

Slo.:edna griva - Habitat: northeast inclined mountain slope, mixed wood, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies dominant trees; calcareous ground, in shade, relatively cold and humid place near a small stream, partly protected from direct rain by tree canopies, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 6-8 deg C, elevation 725 m (2.400 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: leaf litter and soil under Fagus sylvatica. - Comments: Determination of vividly colored (yellow-orange-reddish-pinkish) Ramarias to species level is a hard nut. Microscopy is almost a must. The fungi photographed in this observation have simple septa without clamps. I spent quite some time trying to find clamps in the subhymenium of the branches as well as in the trunk. Only two or three features resembling clamps have been found while vast majority of septa of thin as well as of thick hypha have simple septa. This rules out Ramaria flavescens although other morphological traits, habitat and most of the studied microscopic properties fit well to the find. Similar situation can be assumed for Ramaria Formosa, Ramaria lutea and Ramaria aurea, which all have clamps. Ramaria subbotrytis doesn't have clamps but can be ruled out based on spore and basidia dimensions, which clearly don't fit to measured values. The best candidate seems to be Ramaria neoformosa. All studied macro- and micro traits fit quite well to the find. Only slightly too long spores are to some extent disturbing. Since I havent found any other better option I am staying with this one. Admittedly I don't have descriptions of all of them. They are many. Krieglsteiner (2000) estimates 80 of them in Europe and about 200 worldwide while Arora (1986) assumes about 100 species for America.So, a mistake cannot be ruled out. - Growing in line of about six sporocarps within a range of approximately five by one meters; fruit body dimensions up to 12 cm tall and 12 cm wide, the largest weighting 300 g; stump massive, up to 4.5 cm tall and 5 cm wide, branches toward their ends full and round in cross-section, 1-2(3) mm in diameter; fruit body ochre-orange-pink, oac763 (in sRGB color space R245/G173/B127); stump trama white, marmorated, toward edges of cross-section gradually changing to pinkish-orange; does not discolor with time or when bruised; fibrous when dry, not chalky; 5% KOH reaction on stump trama almost none (slightly darker), on branches not strong but distinctive, reddish-pinkish (pale color of oranges); taste mild, indistinctive, after a while slightly bitter; smell mild, pleasant; SP abundant, yellow-ochre-orange, oac812. - Almost all hypha of subhymenium and stump trama have simple septa. Only a few apparently clamps have been observed in subhymenium. Spores warty. Dimensions: 11 [12 ; 12,4] 13,4 x 4,7 [5,2 ; 5,4] 5,9 ; Q = 2 [2,3 ; 2,4] 2,6; N = 40; C = 95%; Me = 12,2 x 5,3 ; Qe = 2,3. Basidia narrowly clavate. Dimensions: 54,9 [61,6 ; 66,4] 73,1 x 8,1 [9,7 ; 10,8] 12,4 ; Q = 4,8 [5,9 ; 6,7] 7,8; N = 14; C = 95%; Me = 64 x 10,3 mm; Qe = 6,3. Hypha thickness: 2.5 [5.6 ; 6.6] 9.7 microns; Me = 6.1 microns. Olympus CH20, NEA 100x/1.25, magnification 1.000 x, oil (spores); NEA 40x/0.65, magnification 400x (basidia, hypha), in water.AmScope MA500 digital camera. - Note: Spore dimensions in Breitenbach (1986), p362 reported from Schild (1978) and those reported by MycoBank from the same source differ. Also spore dimensions given in the text in Breitenbach (1986), pp 362 and measured from the picture in the same source (p363) differ significantly (?). - Herbarium: Mycotheca and lichen herbarium (LJU-Li) of Slovenian Forestry Institute, Vena pot 2, Ljubljana, Index Herbariorum LJF - Ref.: (1) J.Breitenbach, F.Kraenzlin, Eds., Fungi of Switzerland, Vol.2. Verlag Mykologia (1986), p 362. (2) G.J. Krieglsteiner (Hrsg.), Die Grosspilze Baden-Wrttembergs, Band 2., Ulmer (2000), p64 and p82. (3) E. Schild, Was ist Ramaria aurea und Ramaria flava, Z. Mykol., Vol.44(2) (1978), p171 (cited in Breitenbach (1986)). (4) E. Schild, Was ist Ramaria aurea und Ramaria flava? Zeitschrift fr Mykologie, 44(2) (1978):171-178. (cited in MycoBank under description of Ramaria flavescens). 5) http://www.flickriver.com/photos/camptorus/tags/ramarianeoformosa/ (6) D. Arora, Mushrooms Demystified, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley (1986), p 645.