Clavaria zollingeri

Clavaria zollingeri, commonly known as the violet coral or the magenta coral, is a widely distributed species of fungus. It produces striking tubular, purple to pinkish-violet fruit bodies that grow up to 10 cm (4 in) tall and 7 cm (2+3⁄4 in) wide. The extreme tips of the fragile, slender branches are usually rounded and brownish. Variations in branching and color can often be used to distinguish C. zollingeri from similarly colored coral fungi such as Alloclavaria purpurea and Clavulina amethystina, although microscopy is required to reliably identify the latter species. A typical member of the clavarioid or club fungi, C. zollingeri is saprobic, deriving nutrients by breaking down organic matter. The fruit bodies are typically found growing on the ground in woodland litter or in grasslands....read more on Wikipedia.