About Phellodon tomentosus (L.) Banker
Phellodon tomentosus, commonly called the zoned phellodon or zoned cork hydnum, is a tooth fungus species belonging to the family Bankeraceae. Carl Linnaeus first officially described this species in 1753 under the name Hydnum tomentosum; Howard James Banker later reclassified it into the genus Phellodon in 1906. Its brown cap measures 1.5 to 5 cm wide, and can be broad, flat, or funnel-shaped. Caps sometimes grow fused to other adjacent caps, have distinct zoned coloration with a white margin, are dry and thin, and give off a fragrant scent. The taste of the mushroom ranges from mild to bitter. The tooth-like spines on the underside of the cap are 1 to 3 mm long, grayish-brown with pale tips, and some extend down the upper section of the stalk. The flesh of the mushroom is brown. The stalk grows 1 to 5 cm tall and 2 to 5 mm wide. The species produces white spores that are roughly spherical in shape and covered in small spines. It has a number of similar species, including Phellodon atratus, Coltricia cinnamomea, and Sarcodon fuscoindicus. This mushroom is found across Asia, Europe, and North America, and it is classified as inedible.
