AURISCALPIUM VULGARE

the pinecone mushroom, is a species of fungus in the family Auriscalpiaceae. It

was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, who included it as a member of the
tooth fungi genus Hydnum. British mycologist Samuel Frederick Gray recognized its
uniqueness in 1821 and created the genus Auriscalpium for it. It is widely
distributed in Europe, Central America, North America, and temperate Asia. The
small, spoon-shaped mushrooms grow on conifer litter or on conifer cones in soil.
The dark brown cap is covered with fine brown hairs, and reaches a diameter of up
to 2cm (0.8in). The underside of the cap has an array of tiny tooth-shaped
protrusions up to 3mm long. The dark brown, hairy stem, up to 55mm (2.2in) long
and 2mm thick, attaches to one edge of the cap. High levels of humidity are
essential for optimum mushroom development, while excesses of either light or
darkness inhibit growth. A. vulgare is generally too tough to be considered edible,
but some historical literature says it used to be consumed in France and Italy