View A43-1112-1979-eng.pdf

HYDNACEAE
HYDNUM CORALLOIDES Fr. Edible
Figure 358, page 253
FRUCTIFICATION Consisting of an intricate system of branches, white to
buffy, soft and fleshy, up to 10 inches across, with white cyhndric spines about
14- 1/2 in. long distributed along the under side of the branches more or less in
tufts. SPORES spherical, smooth, hyahne, 5.5-7 11.
On dead hardwood trunks or logs, frequently on beech. July-Nov.
This is a striking and beautiful species. There are several other rather
similar species and it is uncertain whether or not some of these are just ecologi-
cal forms, H. caput-ursi Fr., the bear's head fungus, has longer spines but it
seems possible to build up a graded series from one type to the other through
examination of many collections. H. laciniatum Fr. is more branched and has
shorter spines and there also appears to be a difference in the spores which are
smaller and ellipsoid. H. erinaceum Fr. is a more massive fructification with
very long spines up to 1 Yi in. in length. All of these are edible.
In modern classifications this group of species is placed in the genus
Hericium.
HYDNUM RERAN DUM Fr. Edible
Figure 359, page 253; Figure 426, page 303
PILEUS 1 1/2-4 in. broad, convex to plane or depressed, uneven and often
irregular, whitish to buff'or pinkish cinnamon, dry, minutely velvety to smooth.
FLESH white, soft, fairly thick, teeth slightly decurrent, fleshy, soft, fragile,
round to slightly flattened, whitish to cream colored, stipe 1/2-2 1/2 in. long,
14-I in. thick, sometimes excentric, smooth, colored like the pileus, soHd.
spores white, smooth, ovoid to subglobose, 7-9 X 6.5-7.5 mu-
Oct.
singly or gregarious on the ground in frondose and mixed woods. July-
This species is now usually placed in the genus Dentinum. It is mushroom-
like in form but is readily recognized by the teeth on the under side of the
pileus, the color and the soft, fleshy consistency. Most of the other stipitate
Hydnaceae are tough and fibrous or corky to woody in consistency.
HYDNUM SEPTENTRIONALE Fr. Not edible
Figure 360, page 253
fructification consisting of many horizontal, overlapping sessile pilei
united at the base and forming a massive cluster, single pilei 1-6 in. wide and
about the same in length, sometimes much larger, at first whitish, becoming
buff" or yellowish, finely hairy, dry, margin slightly incurved, tough and
fibrous in consistency, teeth white to yellowish, round, pointed, about |4-
% in. long, stipe lacking, spores white, ellipsoid, smooth, 4-6 X 2.5-3.5 m-
On hving trunks of hardwoods, especially maple and beech. Aug.-Sept.
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