Flat-topped Coral / Clavariadelphus truncatus

In the last few weeks, I've only seen maybe half a dozen of these fungi. Two and three years ago, tthere were a lot more, especially in Brown-Lowery Provincial Park, where this macro photo from my archives was taken, on 10 September 2010. Never eat any fungus/mushroom unless you are an expert at ID and know what you are doing.

"Flat-topped Coral can be found throughout North America. It is most common in the Rocky Mountains growing in a coniferous environment, preferring a cold and wet location. This yellow to ochre mushroom is clublike, often broad and flattened at top. The fungi is wider at the top and narrows toward the base with a firm to spongy consistency. The entire fungi is edible and fairly solid with no hollow portions. The spore print is ochre (a brown-toned yellow). The flesh is whitish to ochre and becomes darker on bruising. This fungus has a nice long growing season of August to October."

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