MYC / 0002 · Species record
Lion's Mane
Hericium erinaceus
Morphology, family and ecology notes below are linked to a regional field guide. Other catalog fields remain unreviewed; this is not a complete identification key.
01 / Overview
Meet the organism.
A cascading tooth fungus valued for culinary use and for its role in late-stage wood decomposition.
02 / Classification
Its place in the collection.
- Kingdom
- Fungi
- Phylum
- Not reviewed
- Order
- Not reviewed
- Family
- Hericiaceae
- Genus · recorded
- Hericium
- Species · recorded
- Hericium erinaceus
03 / Morphology
Read the form.
A rounded, unbranched fruiting body bearing long hanging spines. It is initially pale and may yellow with age; a distinct stalk is absent.
04 / Habitat & ecology
Within a living system.
Recorded habitat · unreviewed
Beech, oak, and maple trunks in humid forests
Ecological role
Occurs on living deciduous trees and dead trunks or logs. It decomposes wood and may act as a parasite in living trees.
Ecological descriptions do not measure soil condition or establish effects on livestock performance.
05 / Distinguishing features
Similar species.
Hericium coralloides has a branched form with shorter spines. Hydnum repandum also has teeth, but bears a cap and stalk. These comparisons do not establish identification.
Edibility & toxicity
Edible · Recorded catalog status, not an assessment of a specimen.
Never use this catalog, its photographs, or demonstration models to decide whether a fungus is safe to consume.
Evidence trail
Missouri Department of Conservation · Bearded Tooth (regional guide) ↗Notes checked against this source: 2026-09-10. Regional scope and identification limitations apply.
Keep exploring / Academy
From observation to understanding.
Build the concepts behind what you see.