Hericium erinaceus is an large, edible mushroom belonging to the tooth fungus group. It grows on cracks or knot holes of living hardwoods, most often oaks in late summer and fall.
Fruiting body consists of one, often roundish fruitbody with 1-5 cm long, soft spines hanging from a tough, hidden base that is attached to the tree. The spines are white, or in age discoloring brownish to yellowish.
Stem very short if present.
Similar species Hericium coralloides is found only on wood of conifers and has coarser branches and longer spines in tufts, not in continous rows along lower surfaces.
Hericium erinaceus on the MushroomExpert.Com Web site.
Hericium erinaceus on the www.first-nature.com web site.