Hydnellum scrobiculatum - Ridged Tooth

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes

Order: Thelephorales

Family: Bankeraceae

The Ridged Tooth is a fairly common woodland species throughbout Britain and Europe; it is also found in North America.

Although very variable in cap colour, the fruitbodies invariably have pinkish tones near to the margin and are a darker reddish-brown to mid brown in the centre. Often there are so many fruitbodies in proximity that the caps and even the stems become fused; however, when well spaced they produce rosettes with colourful ridged margins and contrasting centres.

Identification guide

	Description Cap initially flat topped becoming slightly funnel-shaped with a thin margin; concentrically zoned; pink at the margin, darker reddish-brown or rusty cinnamon in the centre; cap flesh tough and fibrous. Short, crowded, purplish-brown pines on the undersurface are decurrent to the stem. The beautiful specimens shown here were photograohed by Doug Holland.
Size	Cap of fruitbody 3 to 6cm in diameter and 1 to 3cm tall. Stem 5 to 30mm in diameter and up to 4cm tall, slightly swollen at the base; colour as centre of cap. Spines 1 to 3mm long, crowded.
Spore print	Dull brown .
Odour/taste	No significant odour; taste mild.
Habitat	In mixed woodland with pines, growing in the debris of the forest floor.
Season	August and September.
Occurrence	Fairly common.
Similar species	Hydnum rufescens is tan coloured withiout concentric zones; its spines are adnate to the stem rather than decurrent.