Sarcodon imbricatus

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by Michael Kuo

Sarcodon imbricatus is an impressive, widely distributed "hedgehog" mushroom, easily recognized by its scaly brown cap, the "teeth" on its underside, and its terrestrial habitat. The teeth represent the mushroom's strategy for increasing the area of the spore-bearing surface--like gills, folds, or pores in other types of mushrooms.

While it is edible, Sarcodon imbricatus is usually quite bitter and thus unpalatable--which is a shame, because it is more robust and more common than the delectable Hydnum repandum, the "true" hedgehog mushroom. According to some authors, Sarcodon imbricatus is one of those species that causes "allergic reactions" in "some people." The mushroom is probably best avoided . . . though I have seen tempting, impressive fruitings in the southern Rocky Mountains.

Description:

Ecology: Mycorrhizal with hardwoods or conifers; growing alone or or gregariously; widely distributed in North America.

Cap: 5-20 cm wide; convex to broadly convex with a central depression (the depression is sometimes perforated in age); dry; covered with coarse, raised, dark brown to blackish scales; light to dark brown.

Undersurface: Running down the stem; covered with spines or "teeth" that are .5-1.5 cm long; pale, becoming brownish.

Stem: 4-10 cm long; 1.5-3.5 cm thick; dry; smooth; pale or brownish; becoming hollow.

Flesh: Whitish to pale brownish; soft.

Taste: Mild or bitter; odor not distinctive.

Spore Print: Brown.

Microscopic Features: Spores 6-8 x 5-7 µ; round or nearly so; ornamented with large warts.

REFERENCES: (Fries) Karsten. (Smith, Smith & Weber, 1981; Arora, 1986; Phillips, 1991/2005; Lincoff, 1992; Evenson, 1997.) Herb. Kuo 08120302, 08150704.

Hydnum imbricatum is a synonym.

Further Online Information:

Sarcodon imbricatus at MykoWeb
Sarcodon imbricatus at Fungi of Poland

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Cite this page as:

Kuo, M. (2003, October). Sarcodon imbricatus. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/sarcodon_imbricatus.html