Finnish ezhovik

Finnish Hericium (Sarcodon fennicus)

Systematics:

• Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
• Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
• Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
• Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
• Order: Thelephorales
• Family: Bankeraceae (Banker)
• Genus: Sarcodon (Sarcodon)
• Species: Sarcodon fennicus (Finnish Hericium)

Finnish Hericium is very similar to Sarcodon scabrosus, in fact, it is included in the Index Fungorum as' Sarcodon scabrosus var. fennicus', but the debate about whether to take it out separately is still ongoing.

Description:

Ecology: grows in groups on the soil. The information is contradictory: it is indicated that it can grow in mixed forests, prefers beech; it is also indicated that it grows in coniferous forests, forming mycorrhiza with conifers. More common in September-October . It is considered very rare.

Hat: 3-10, up to 15 cm in diameter; convex, flat-convex, outstretched with age. In young mushrooms it is almost smooth, then more or less scaly, especially in the center. The color is brown with a transition to red-brown th, much lighter towards the edge. Irregular, often wavy-lobed th edge.

Hymenophore: descending 'spines' 3-5 mm; pale brown th color, darker at the tips, very dense.

Stem: 2-5 cm long and 1-2.5 cm thick, slightly tapering towards the base, often curved. Smooth, colors range from reddish brown, blue-green, dark olive to almost black towards the base.

Flesh: firm. Different colors: almost white, light yellow with a hat; blue-green at the bottom of the leg.

Smell: pleasant.

Taste: unpleasant, bitter or peppery.

Spore powder: brown.

Similarity: The Finnish Hericium, as noted above, is very similar to the Rough Hericium. You can confuse it with the Variegated Ezovik (Sarcodon Imbricatus), but the sharp bitter taste will immediately put everything in its place.

The Finnish Yezhovik has several more features:

• scales are much less pronounced than Sarcodon scabrosus (rough)
• the leg is dark immediately from the cap, red-brown I am with the transition to greenish blue oh color, often completely greenish blue th, and not only at the base, but in the rough hedgehog near the cap, the leg is rather light
• if you cut the leg lengthwise, then the Finnish hedgehog will immediately show dark colors in the cut, while in the rough hedgehog we will see a transition of colors from pale brown go or gray to greenish and only at the very base of the leg – greenish-black th.

Edible: Unlike the Herculean's Mane, this mushroom, like the Herringbone's Rough, is considered inedible due to its bitter taste.