Beautiful Clavaria vs Yellow Stagshorn
Ramaria formosa and Calocera viscosa are confused for one another often enough to be worth putting next to each other.
Pink coral fungus that acts as a strong laxative. Several edible corals look uncomfortably similar.
Gelatinous orange antlers on conifer wood. Harmless but tasteless and rubbery.
Side by side
| Ramaria formosa | Calocera viscosa | |
|---|---|---|
| In this game | Poisonous | Inedible / unclear |
| Habitat | Leaf litter in broadleaf woodland, especially beech. | Buried conifer wood and rotting stumps, standing up out of the moss. |
| Season | Late summer to autumn. | Autumn to early winter. |
| Spore print | Ochre-yellow. | Pale yellow. |
The recorded spore prints differ: ochre-yellow for Ramaria formosa, pale yellow for Calocera viscosa. That is one documented difference, not a test you can pass.
This comparison cannot make a mushroom safe to eat. It sets out the few characteristics this game records, in general terms, for two species that vary by region, age and growing conditions. Real specimens overlap in ways no table and no photograph can separate, and the deadly one here is deadly in a single meal. Ask a qualified local expert, every time.
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Calocera viscosa is also confused with Yellow Brain.
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