Specimen AB#13 (Chandelier)

This beautiful creature came out of nowhere while I was walking through the woods. A large tree had fallen over, and there on the exposed inside of the tree hung this magnificent specimen. An ornate chandelier to complement the majestic and palatial forest.

Figure 1. Hericium Americanum in all its beauty

Name: Hericium Americanum 
Family: Hericiaceae

Collection Date: 10/04/2011

Habitat: Found growing on the exposed face of a fallen tree

Location: West Woods

Description: “Fruiting body 10-75 cm or more broad and high at maturity, consisting of an open to compact branched framework from which tufts of icicle-like spines hang…white to creamy… spines soft but brittle, arranged in clusters that are mainly grouped at the branch tips” (Arora, 1986).

Collector: Andrew Burns

Key Used: Arora. D., (1986) Mushrooms Demystified 2^nd Edition, Ten Speeds Press, New York, NY

Keying Steps:

Begin with “Major Groups of Fleshy Fungi” (p.52), sent to “Teeth Fungi”

“Fruiting body bearing its spores on downward-pointing spines or ‘teeth’… suspended like icicles… on ground or wood.”

 Hydnaceae “Teeth Fungi” p.611

1b. Not growing on cones; stalk if present usually thicker…2

2b. Not as above [brownish cap]…3

3a. Growing on wood…4

4a. Fruiting body a branched framework… from which spines are suspended (i.e., icicle-like); lacking a distinct cap… p.613 Hericium

“Hericium” p.613

1b. Fruiting body branched, the spines hanging from the branches or branch tips…2

2b. Growing mainly on hardwoods; fruiting body white when fresh…3

3b. Spines often long…arranged mostly in tufts or clusters, especially at the branch tips…p.614  H. Coralloides

Pure white, found on hardwoods in Eastern America. It is suggested that the name H. Coralloides be given instead to H. Ramosum, and that the name of this specimen should be changed to H.Americanum.


Apparently this particular mushroom is also edible. As Arora puts it "Eminently edible, delectably delicious." As much as I'd hate to remove one from its natural habitat I'll have to keep my eyes open for another of these gorgeous fungi.

Correlating Links:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hericium_americanum.html