A stunning, purple to violet fungus. It looks like a tiny piece of coral reef misplaced on the forest floor. A mushroom that is royal purple. The violet coral has multiple branching, upright branches. These rise five to ten centimetres from the leaf litter. The colour is most intense in young specimens. It is a deep, saturated purple. This seems to glow against the browns and greens of the bush. As it ages, the colour fades. It becomes a pale lavender or greyish-purple. A fungus that loses its colour as it ages. The transition is gradual. The vibrancy is temporary. The branches are slender, smooth and often twisted or curled. They divide repeatedly. This creates a dense, bushy cluster. Unlike many coral fungi that are tough and rubbery, the violet coral is brittle. It breaks easily. It is not a mushroom that can be bent without snapping. The fragility is absolute. The structure is intricate. This fungus is mycorrhizal. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of native trees. Particularly beech. It does not feed on dead wood directly. Instead, its mycelium wraps around tree roots. It exchanges water and minerals for carbohydrates. The purple fruiting body is just the flower. A temporary structure that appears after rain to scatter spores. The connection is subterranean. The display is ephemeral. In New Zealand, the violet coral is most common in the South Island. It grows under beech trees in damp, undisturbed forests. It appears in autumn and early winter. This is after heavy rain. It grows in leaf litter. Often in small groups or scattered individuals. The season is specific. The location is precise. The visibility is high. Not edible. Some coral fungi are poisonous. This one is too rare to risk. But its beauty is its purpose. The beech forest is damp. The violet coral grows from the leaf litter. Deep purple branches glow against the brown. It is brittle. It is rare. It does not know it is beautiful. It does not know it is a favourite of photographers. It just wants to trade nutrients with a beech tree. A splash of royal purple in the deep green bush. The violet coral is proof. Even the darkest forest floor can be home to something regal and rare. The branches are purple. The tips are sharp. The base is white. The decay is slow. The beauty is fleeting. The fungus persists. It does not seek admiration. It seeks association. It finds it in the beech. It fruits in the rain. It releases the spores. And that seems to be enough.