Phaeoclavulina abietina
Mycotaxon 115: 189. 2011.
Common Name: none
Synonyms: Ramaria abietina (Pers.: Fries) Quélet; Ramaria ochraceovirens (Jung.) Donk
Fruiting body 2-5 cm tall, rounded to fan-shaped; branches thin, yellow-brown to olive-brown, darker in age, irregularly divided, the tips relatively short; branches sometimes bruising bluish-green or developing greenish tones in age; flesh tough; taste bitter.
Stipe 1-2 cm tall, solid or consisting of partially fused branches, yellow-brown to olive brown, bruising green at the base; rhizomorphs frequently found at the base.
Spores 5.5-7.5 x 3-4 µm, elliptical, warted; spores yellow brown in deposit.
Gregarious, sometimes in arcs, i.e. partial fairy rings, in duff under conifers, especially Monterey cypress and redwood; from late fall to late winter.
Inedible, due to tough texture and bitter taste.
Phaeoclavulina abietina is one of our most common small Ramarias. It is nonetheless frequently overlooked because of its diminutive stature and cryptic coloration. Finding a single specimen, however, will often reveal an arc of emerging fruiting bodies stretching many feet. The blue-green staining character and terrestrial habit as opposed to growing on decayed wood, helps to separate this species from other small Ramarias.
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