It’s the year of sorting corals – they look so much alike — or do they??
This baby has crown tips and once you see them it’s like okay I got this. It’s so obvious now. ha!
Now if only I could pronounce the name: Artomyces pyxidatus
This beauty was just sitting around in Sprockids. Easier to see the 3D crown structure in the top photo.
Tell ya, once you start looking at corals, you really get up close and personal and l-o-o-k at them.
And I’m smiling thinking of how wonderfully weird mushroom foragers are!
About Artomyces pyxidatus
Artomyces pyxidatus is a coral fungus that is commonly called crown coral or crown-tipped coral fungus. Its most characteristic feature is the crown-like shape of the tips of its branches. The epithet pyxidatus means “box-like”—a reference to this shape.
Artomyces pyxidatus can be observed throughout Northern Canada during the growing season. In Britain, it was recorded in 2011, almost 116 years after its previous reliable report, a collection made by mycologist Carleton Reale on 20 October 1886. It is widespread but uncommon in Western Europe. The fungus produces its hard, coral-like fruiting bodies on growing wood. Basidia and basidiospores are produced on the surfaces of the branches. These fungi are considered edible when raw, although some people may experience gastrointestinal upset, especially after eating a large quantity. The raw fruiting bodies have a peppery taste that usually disappears when cooked.
More information: Artomyces pyxidatus: wikipedia