Pine-cone Tooth
(Fircone Hydnum, or Earpick Fungus)
Description
Fruit-body laterally attached, leathery cap on a stem, up to 8 cm high. Cap Ø 1-2 cm, ear- to kidney-shaped, covered with yellow-brown to chestnut or black-brown hairs with ciliate margin. Spines 2-3 mm long, pointed, pink-brown to grey-brown.
Stem 2-6 cm x 1-3 mm, hairy-felted, bristly at the swollen base, dark brown to black-brown.
Spore-print colour white.
Occurrence
On Fir (and Spruce) cones lying on the soil or shallowly buried in coniferous or mixed woods on slightly acid to alkaline (often calcareous), sandy or loamy soils.
Saprophyte.