Hericium cirrhatum

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Hericium cirrhatum

Multiple brackets growing on a fallen beech tree. 24 August 2020 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Synonymns

Creolophus cirrhatus

Fruiting Body

Bracket shaped, often in tiers, laterally attached to the substrate, upper surface white, decorated with short spines, under surface covered with spines extending to about 15 mm long, white to cream, becoming orange brown with age, to about 10 cm across

Flesh

Firm, white

Smell

Indistinct

Taste

Indistinct

Season

Late summer to autumn

Distribution

Infrequent, most records are from southern England

Habitat

On dead wood from deciduous trees, favouring beech

Spore Print

White

Microscopic Features

Spores ellipsoidal, smooth, amyloid (3.5-4.5) x (3-3.5) µm2. Basidia clavate, slender, sinuous, four spored. Gloeocystidia cylindrical, sinuous, with content. Hyphal system monomitic.

Edibility

Do not collect due to rarity

Hericium cirrhatum

24 August 2020 Hampshire. Spores in Melzer's solution viewed with a x100 immersion objective. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Hericium cirrhatum

1 November 2013 Buckinghamshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Hericium cirrhatum

1 November 2013 Buckinghamshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.

Hericium cirrhatum

2 November 2013 Hampshire. Photograph copyright Leif Goodwin.