Hericium scaly (Sarcodon Imbricatus) photo and description

Hericium scaly (Sarcodon Imbricatus)

Systematics:
  • Department: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
  • Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
  • Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
  • Subclass: Incertae sedis (undefined)
  • Order: Thelephorales
  • Family: Bankeraceae (Banker)
  • Genus: Sarcodon (Sarcodon)
  • Species: Sarcodon Imbricatus (Hericium scaly)
    Other names for the mushroom:

  • Motley Hericium
  • Variegated sarcodon

Synonyms:

  • Hericium tiled
  • Hericium scaly
  • Sarcodon tiled
  • Variegated sarcodon
  • Kolchak
  • Sarcodon squamosus

Hericium is motley

Hat: at first the hat is flat-convex, then it becomes concave in the middle. In diameter 25cm. Covered with tiled lagging brown scales. Velvety, dry.

Flesh: thick, dense, whitish-gray in color with a spicy odor.

Disputes: on the underside of the cap there are densely spaced conical spines, pointed thin, about 1 cm long. At first, the thorns are light, but become darker with age.

Spore powder: brown.

Leg: 8 cm long. 2.5 cm thick. Solid, smooth cylindrical shape of the same color with a cap or slightly lighter. Sometimes there are specimens with a purple stem.

Distribution: Hericium flaky occurs in coniferous forests. Growing time is August - November. Rare enough mushroom, grows in large groups. Prefers dry sandy soils. Distributed in all forest zones, but not equally, in places it is absent altogether, and in places it forms circles.

Similarity: The scaled herd's mane can only be confused with similar species of herringbone. Related species:

  • Finnish Hericium, characterized by the absence of large scales on the cap, dark pulp in the stem and an unpleasant, bitter or peppery taste
  • Hericium is rough, which is slightly smaller than variegated, with a bitter or bitter aftertaste and, like the Finnish, dark flesh in the leg.

Edible: The mushroom is good for human consumption. Young mushrooms can be eaten in any form, but tastes best when fried. The bitter taste disappears after boiling. Hericium scaly has an unusual spicy smell, so not everyone will like it. Most often, it is used as a seasoning in small amounts.

Video about the Hericium scaly mushroom:

Remarks: Sarcodon imbricatus grows in the darkest and most inaccessible places on dry sandy soils.

Leena Riihelä , a super-master at dyeing wool with natural dyes, writes on her blog:

This mushroom used to be called Sarcodon imbricatus, but now it has been divided into two species: Sarcodon squamosus, which grows under the pine trees, and Sarcodon imbricatus, which grows under fir trees. There are other differences in spines and sizes, but the easiest way is to see where they grow. This difference in species is important for the dye, because the one that grows under the spruce either gives no color or gives a completely ugly "garbage" color, and the one that grows under the pine trees gives luxurious browns. In fact, over a decade ago, dyers in Sweden began to suspect that there were two different species, and this is now supported by scientific research.

Here on WikiMushroom, Sarcodon squamosus is spelled out the old fashioned way, as a synonym for Sarcodon imbricatus. So far, these barnacles remain to be identified as one species, since the exact definition will be extremely difficult, and from a culinary point of view, there is not much difference.