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Required Wood Decay Fungi; species with a spinose hymenophore (Echinodontium, Hericium)

list of genera of wood decay fungi

Echinodontium tinctorium, the 'Indian Paint fungus'. Sporocarps perennial, woody in consistency, and found on the bole of living conifers, typically below a branch stub which is the infection court, and typically above 3000 feet in elevation (see within the box in the left lower picture). In the right, lower picture, the pileus is black, cracked, and with vertical as well as horizontal line. The hymenophore consists of blunt-edges spines and is greyish in consistency. This fungus causes a bright reddish brown stringy, laminated rot when fresh (top right picture) which becomes dark and more red in color in wood that has been decayed an on the ground for years (top left picture)

Species of Hericium produce fleshy, annual sporocarp which has a spinose hymenophore located on branches (the two pictures to the left) or on a central mass of hyphae (right picture); the spines can be short to long. The two species to the left belong to the H. abietis species complex; in northern California, these species cause a white stringy rot of down and dead conifers and can be collected in the spring and the fall. Hericium erinaceus (on the right), 'Hog's head fungus'. This species has long spines located on a mass of hyphae (head-like in appearence) and causes a white spongy rot of living hardwoods, particularly species of oak.


		Echinodontium tinctorium, the 'Indian Paint fungus'. Sporocarps perennial, woody in consistency, and found on the bole of living conifers, typically below a branch stub which is the infection court, and typically above 3000 feet in elevation (see within the box in the left lower picture). In the right, lower picture, the pileus is black, cracked, and with vertical as well as horizontal line. The hymenophore consists of blunt-edges spines and is greyish in consistency. This fungus causes a bright reddish brown stringy, laminated rot when fresh (top right picture) which becomes dark and more red in color in wood that has been decayed an on the ground for years (top left picture)


Species of Hericium produce fleshy, annual sporocarp which has a spinose hymenophore located on branches (the two pictures to the left) or on a central mass of hyphae (right picture); the spines can be short to long. The two species to the left belong to the H. abietis species complex; in northern California, these species cause a white stringy rot of down and dead conifers and can be collected in the spring and the fall. Hericium erinaceus (on the right), 'Hog's head fungus'. This species has long spines located on a mass of hyphae (head-like in appearence) and causes a white spongy rot of living hardwoods, particularly species of oak.