Hydnum repandum L. ex Fr. - Wood Hedgehog

Taxonomy

Phylum: Basidiomycota

Class: Agaricomycetes (insertae sedis)

Order: Cantharellales

The pale Hedgehog Fungus is a popular edible species, but it should be picked while young and free from worms and grubs. These quite large and fleshy fungi grow in all kinds of damp woodland.

In France this highly-prized esculent goes by the charming name of Pied de Mouton. Further evidence of the reputation of these 'tooth fungi' is hidden in the generic name Hydnum, which is derived from the Greek name for a truffle.

Identification guide

	Cap The cap is creamy white, with irregular undulations and pits on its upper surface, which has a fine velvety feel and tends to redden slightly when handled. The firm, crunchy flesh of this large edible fungus is slightly spicy and not dissimilar to that of the Chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius. Caps of the SWood Hedgehog are irregularly shaped and typically 4 to 15cm across.
	Spines Hanging down like stalactites, soft spines cover the fertile surface of the Wood Hedgehog. The spines are 2 to 6mm long and decurrent to the stem. Stem White; cylindrical, 5 to 10cm tall and typically 1.5 to 3cm in diameter; solid, with white flesh.
	Spores Ellipsoidal, 6.5 - 9 x 5.5 - 7μm. Spore print White.
Odour/taste	Odour not distinctive; turns bitter in the mouth after a few moments delay.
Habitat	Ectomycorrhizal; forming rings among the moss and leaf litter of forest floors.
Season	August to December.
Occurrence	Quite common in Britain and Ireland, Hydnum repandum is also widely distributed across mainland Europe..
Similar species	Hydnum rufescens is smaller and tan coloured; its spines are adnate to the stem rather than decurrent.

Reference Sources

Fascinated by Fungi, Pat O'Reilly 2011

Dictionary of the Fungi; Paul M. Kirk, Paul F. Cannon, David W. Minter and J. A. Stalpers; CABI, 2008

Taxonomic history and synonym information on these pages is drawn from many sources but in particular from the British Mycological Society's GB Checklist of Fungi and (for basidiomycetes) on Kew's Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota.