Ramaria botrytis

Growing on the ground under both broadleaf trees and conifers, with branched, coralloid fruit bodies up to 30 cm across resembling a cauliflower, with an ochre stem bearing brownish spots that contrast with the short vinaceous-red tips, with a pleasant odor and mild (sweet) taste.

Hyphal system monomitic, with filamentous, cylindrical hyphae, moderately thick-walled, 3 to 8 µm wide, septate and clamped.

Cystidia and other sterile hymenial elements absent.

Basidia cylindrical-clavate, 45 to 60 µm long, 9 to 11 µm wide, with basal clamp connections and four-spored.

Spores cylindrical-ellipsoidal to slightly fusiform, with a pointed, curved end corresponding to the apiculus, hyaline, thin-walled, pale yellow under the microscope, 12 to 16 µm long, 4.5 to 6 µm wide, with anastomosing longitudinal striae on their surface, and inamyloid in Melzer's reagent.