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Photo By Dick Culbert

Orange spine

Hydnellum aurantiacum

A species of Hydnellum, Also known as Orange rough-cap tooth

The orange spine is a fungus commonly used for mushroom dyeing – it gives greyish and greenish dyes. At first glance, this mushroom resembles a polypore (large mushrooms that have tubes on their undersides), but when you take a closer look, you'll see that the underside of this polypore-looking mushroom is covered with tiny needles.

Cap Diameter:

3 - 10 cm

Odor:

Pleasantly fragrant, not specific or intense.

General Info About Orange spine

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Attributes of Orange spine

Cap Diameter

3 - 10 cm

Height

3 - 7 cm

Cap

Cap 3 - 10 cm wide; flat; orange to rusty red; pocked, pitted; often bruises brownish to blackish

Cap Shape

Flat, Depressed

Cap Surfaces

Fibrillose-scaly, Visible lines or stripes

Stem

2 - 5 cm long, 1 - 2 cm thick at apex; cylindric, club-shaped, or somewhat irregular; orange to rusty red; sometimes spongy near the base

Stem Shapes

Club Shaped

Stem Surfaces

Smooth to slightly fibrous

Flesh

Two-layered; whitish to dull orangish

Ring

Ringless

Spore Print Color

Brown

Odor

Pleasantly fragrant, not specific or intense.

Body Color

Red

White

Orange

Pink

Flesh Bruises

The flesh or milk does not discolor when bruised or cut.

Growth Form

Solitary, Scattered, Gregarious

Nutrient Gathering

Mycorrhizal

Substrate

On soil, Leaf or Needle Litter

You can find Orange spine by these plants:

Common douglas-fir, Eastern hemlock, Spruces, Pines, Firs

Occurence Habitats

Coniferous Woodland

Species Status

Widely distributed in North America

Endangered Species

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Habitat of Orange spine

Orange spine tends to grow in coniferous forest settings, often favored by pine, hemlock, and fir trees, located in areas rich with needle duff.

Scientific Classification of Orange spine

Phylum

Club fungi

Class

Mushroom-forming fungi

Order

Thelephorales

Family

Bankeraceae

Genus

Hydnellum

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Tips for Finding Orange spine

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What are the Ideal Soil Conditions for Orange spine

Prefers acidic, well-drained soil with rich organic matter.

What are Some Tips for Finding Orange spine

Seek out areas with a high density of conifer trees such as pines and firs.
Look around the base of these trees, sifting gently through the needle duff.
Investigate around clusters of conifer trees where the accumulation of organic debris is more likely.
Search for orange spine at the margin of forested areas where tree density may provide optimal growth conditions.

How to Clean and Preserve Orange spine

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Common Questions People Also Ask

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