Species details
Scaly tooth
Sarcodon imbricatus
Conditional / expert preparation
Photo: Matt Bowser · CC BY 4.0 · Photo source · License
Description
A large brown tooth fungus with raised concentric cap scales and a dense spine-bearing underside.
Identification features
The cap is 6–25 cm wide, brown and covered in large raised scales. The underside bears dense 5–10 mm spines that may extend down the stem.
Identification checklist
Check the large concentric scales, spines rather than gills or pores, and association with spruce (Picea). The host tree is especially important for separating it from Sarcodon squamosus.
Detailed features
- Cap
- The cap is 6–25 cm wide, brown and covered in large raised scales.
- Hymenophore
- The underside bears dense 5–10 mm spines that may extend down the stem.
- Stem
- The underside bears dense 5–10 mm spines that may extend down the stem.
Size
- Cap diameter
- 6–25 cm
Habitat
Grows in coniferous woodland primarily in association with spruce (Picea), singly or in groups, in late summer and autumn.
Fruiting period
August, September, October, November
Ecology
- Host trees
- Spruce (Picea)
- Notes
- Grows in coniferous woodland primarily in association with spruce (Picea), singly or in groups, in late summer and autumn.
How to separate similar species
Sarcodon squamosus is very similar but characteristically associated with pine (Pinus), whereas S. imbricatus is associated with spruce (Picea). A photograph alone is not sufficient for reliable separation.
Similar species
- Sarcodon squamosus
- Hydnellum glaucopus
- Black tooth (Phellodon niger)