Teeth


All three of the Hericium spp. share one common structure, teeth - which are easy to pinch off or cut through with even a dull blade. 

Hericium erinaceus

Often called Lion's mane, on account of it's mane-like shape, this saprobe (eats dead/decaying material) is easily distinguishable from the other Hericium species by it's ball or cluster-like shape. 

Hericium coralloides/americanum

Rather than forming a ball, these two form branched structures from which the teeth hang. H. coralloides typically has teeth .5-1cm in length while H. americanum has teeth that hang a longer .5-4cm in length and sometimes looks shaggier. Both are edible.

 Photo by Cyndee Helms 

Distinct Teeth From Omnibus Structural Core

Rather than forming a ball, these two form branched structures from which the teeth hang. H. coralloides typically has teeth .5-1cm in length while H. americanum has teeth that hang a longer .5-4cm in length and sometimes looks shaggier. Both are edible.

 Photo by Cyndee Helms 

Look A Likes

One of the more common mushrooms that is sometimes confused for Hericum is Spongipellis pachyodon due to the elongated teeth. S. pachyodon is much tougher (think shoe leather) and the teeth are wide or oblong in shape. Furthermore S. pachyodon has a cap-like surface underneath-which the teeth hang. Hericium erinaceus can have a 'cap-like' structure in age, but there is a less defined boundary between cap and teeth.