Coral Fungi
February 21st, 2009Fungi are some organisms that one can find almost everywhere in the world. The coral fungi are another example for this fact. The coral fungi are found in woods and are mostly found on dead and decaying logs of wood. Some coral fungi even grow on the ground. Some of these coral fungi are colored brightly. They are recognized mostly by their clustered appearance or curious branching. The basidia of these fungi occur as a continuous layer that covers the surfaces of the erect branches of this fungus. Most of the coral fungi are fleshy and are fit to be eaten by humans.
Coral fungi do not have a lot of things in common as many people think as the DNA of the different coral fungi have numerous important differences among them. Therefore, mycologists or fungus scientists are not very sure on how to classify these many fungi. Fungus from as much as three orders and several other families are called as coral fungi. The coral fungi can range from simple plants or branched clubs to larger structures that are shaped like broccolis. The fertile tissue of the plant covers every part of the plant except for its stem. Some of the differences exist even in the spores of these fungi. Ramaria spores have a color of yellow brown whereas Clavaria has white spores.
Some of the types of coral fungi are Clavaria fusiformis. This is a small slender bright yellow club fungus that grows in dense tufts. This is sighted in the New South Wales forests. The fruiting body is yellow, typically compressed and grooved. This is a bit bitter in taste and has no odor. Clavaria miniata is also referred to as flame fungus. This is a spike like fungus that is occasionally branched growing on the forest floor. The spikes are solid or hollow. Clavulina cinerea is a coral fungus that is grayish blue in color and is overlooked easily. The branches are sinuous and produce a crested or flattened apical growth. The surface is slightly wrinkled and has a mild taste.
The drab coral fungus goes overlooked and the fresh specimens possess a lilac tinge and hence attract the attention. Ramaria gracilis is found in pine and eucalyptus litter. This is found deeply buried. Ramaria Versatilis is also a type of coral fungus. They feature lilac colored branches covered by ochre spores. The tips are blunt and short. This appears on the soil with the leaf litter in the eucalyptus forests. This type is confused with Zollingeri type, but Zollingeri is always single, brownish and rounded.
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