Hydnellum
Encyclopedia
Hydnellum is a genus
of tooth fungus of the family Bankeraceae
in the order Thelephorales
. The genus is widely distributed, and contains 38 species. The fruit bodies
of its members grow by slowly enveloping bits of grass and vegetation around them. They are too tough and woody to eat comfortably. Several species have become the focus of increasing conservation
concern following widespread declines in abundance.
Some species of Hydnellum produce pigments that have been used for centuries to dye
textiles.
One of the better-known species is the unusual pinkish-white species Hydnellum peckii
, also known as strawberries and cream or as the bleeding tooth fungus due to the red droplets that appear on the pinkish or whitish fruit bodies. Another species, H. suaveolens
, has a strong odor of anise or peppermint.
The name comes the Greek hydnum meaning spongy plant or fungus.
has a zoned appearance and is fibrous when fresh, hard and woody when dry. The spines are crowded and typically decurrent
, and may be a variety of colors, such as white to yellow, olive green, shades of orange, light brown, or dark brown in age. The spores are almost spherical to oblong and tuberculate, and are brown in mass.
All are too tough and woody to be edible
, and many have an acrid taste anyway.
from soil have been developed to detect the mycelia of various Hydnellum species without having to rely on the presence of fruiting bodies, which may help conservation
efforts as well as improve understanding of below-ground ecology
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of tooth fungus of the family Bankeraceae
Bankeraceae
The Bankeraceae are a family of fungi in the order Boletales. Taxa are terrestrial, and ectomycorrhizal with species such as Pinaceae or Fagaceae.-External links:*...
in the order Thelephorales
Thelephorales
The Thelephorales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes corticioid and hydnoid fungi, together with a few polypores and clavarioid species. All fungi within the Thelephorales are ectomycorrhizal...
. The genus is widely distributed, and contains 38 species. The fruit bodies
Basidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
of its members grow by slowly enveloping bits of grass and vegetation around them. They are too tough and woody to eat comfortably. Several species have become the focus of increasing conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
concern following widespread declines in abundance.
Some species of Hydnellum produce pigments that have been used for centuries to dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
textiles.
One of the better-known species is the unusual pinkish-white species Hydnellum peckii
Hydnellum peckii
Hydnellum peckii is an inedible fungus, and a member of the genus Hydnellum of the family Bankeraceae. It is a hydnoid species, producing spores on the surface of vertical spines or tooth-like projections that hang from the undersurface of the fruit bodies. It is found in North America, Europe, and...
, also known as strawberries and cream or as the bleeding tooth fungus due to the red droplets that appear on the pinkish or whitish fruit bodies. Another species, H. suaveolens
Hydnellum suaveolens
Hydnellum suaveolens is an inedible fungus often found beneath conifers. It has a funnel-shaped cap that is typically between 5–15 cm in diameter. As its name suggests, it has a strong odor of anise or peppermint.-External links:...
, has a strong odor of anise or peppermint.
The name comes the Greek hydnum meaning spongy plant or fungus.
Description
Hydnellum basidiocarps have caps and stems, often with indeterminant growth forms, that may grow in spurts and decay over several weeks. The contextTrama
Trama may refer to:* Trama , a genus of aphid* Trama , a mushroom's "flesh"* Trama , a Peruvian band* Spanish and Portuguese for plot* a medium access control protocol for sensor networks ....
has a zoned appearance and is fibrous when fresh, hard and woody when dry. The spines are crowded and typically decurrent
Decurrent
Decurrent is a term used in botany and mycology to describe plant or fungal parts that extend downward.In botany, the term is most often applied to leaf blades that partly wrap or have wings around the stem or petiole and extend down along the stem...
, and may be a variety of colors, such as white to yellow, olive green, shades of orange, light brown, or dark brown in age. The spores are almost spherical to oblong and tuberculate, and are brown in mass.
All are too tough and woody to be edible
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
, and many have an acrid taste anyway.
2000s developments
In the 2000s, techniques based on species-specific PCR primers and DNA extractionDNA extraction
DNA isolation is a routine procedure to collect DNA for subsequent molecular or forensic analysis. There are three basic and two optional steps in a DNA extraction:...
from soil have been developed to detect the mycelia of various Hydnellum species without having to rely on the presence of fruiting bodies, which may help conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
efforts as well as improve understanding of below-ground ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
.