H YDNUM A U R I S C A L P I UM. FlR H y DNUM.
HYDNUM Lin. Gen. PL C r y p t o g a m i a F u n g i .
Fungus horizontalis fubtus echinatus.
RaiL Syn. Gen. i . F u n g i .
HYDNUM aurifcalpium flipitatum, pileo dimidiato. Lin. Syfi. Végétai, p. 822. Spec. Plant, p. 1648. Fl.
Suède. 1100. Làppon 524.
ECHINUS petiolo gracili laterali, pileolo piano obfcuro. Haller Hiß. n. 2321,
ERINACEUS parvus hirfutus exfulvo fufeus, pileo femiorbiculari, pediculo tenuiore. Mich. Gen. 122
t. 72. £ 8.
FUNGUS erinaceus parvus in conis abietis nafeens. Buxb. Cent. 1. t. 57. £ 1.
FUNGUS erinaceiis parvus pediculo longiore aurifcalpium referens buxei coloris. Buxb. hall. 120. t. 829.
ERINACEUS minimus aurifcalpium referens. Cels. Ups. 20.
FUNGUS erinaceus efculentus parvus, pediculo longiore, aurifcalpium referens, buxei coloris, in flrobilis
pini eveniens. Kram. tent. 146.
Hudfon. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 628.
Lightfoot Fl. Scot.
Rofes Elem. of Bot. app. t. 3.
•Schaffer. Fung. tab. 143.
Ex flrobilis feu ramulis emortuis pini nafeitur hic
Fungus.
STIPES pollicaris feu bipollicaris, inferne incraflàtus,
fublanuginqfus, fuperne ad apicem fenfim
a t t en u a tu s , pilis numerofis brevibus, rigidulis,
horizontalibus feabriufeulis.
? From the decayed cones or fmall branches of the fir
| fprings this Fungus.
§ STALK from one to three inches in height, thicken’d
| at bottom and fomewhat wooly, from thence
PILEUS magnitudine unguis indicis, plerumque di- :
midiatus, rotundato-reniformis, horizontalis, '
fuperne planiufculus, fafciis luteis et fufeis ;
in orbem difpofitis notatus, hirfutus, demum ;
nigricans, inferne canefcens, echinatus, fig. 1. !
Echini plurimi, conferti, acuminati, fimplices. -
f s - 2 - :
to the top gradually tapering and befet with
numerous, fhort, horizontal, and fomewhat
| rigid hairs, which give it a manifefl roughnefs.
HEAD or cap the fize of the forefinger nail, in general
halved, of roundifh kidney-fhape,
horizontal, on the upper fide flattifh, marked
with yellow and brown flripes circularly dif-
difpofed, hirfute, finally becoming black, underneath
of a greyifh colour, and prickly,
fig. 1. Prickles numerous growing thickly
together, Ample, and running out to a point.
fig- 2.
SOME of the more antient Botanifls have given to this fpecies of Hydnum the name of aurifcalpium or ear-
picker, from its refemblance to the inflrument ufed for that purpofe, but it fhould be obferved that it is only when
young or fmall that it bears this refemblance.
Its habitat is on the half decayed branches, and cones of the Fir Tree, efpecially the latter, mofl probably it is
not attached to any particular fpecies, the Cones on which I found it were of the Pinus Jylvefiris.
In the time.of Mr. R a y , it was not known to be a native of Great Britain, of late years it has been found
by feveral inquifitive Botanifls in various parts of the Kingdom, as in Scotland by Mr. L i g h t f o o t , near Norwich
by Mr. R o s e , and in a fmall pine wood oppofite to, and by the road only feparated from Lord M a n s f i e l d ’ s
Houfe near Hqmpfiead by Mr. D i x o n , and from which wood the fpecimens here reprefented were taken.
The fifth of October 1780, I found a great number of them in the faid wood i
the greatefl perfection, they
grew in the moifl part of the wood out of the cones buried under the dead leaves.
In its ufe it does not appear to be v e r y important, at leafl immediately to us, K r a m e r applies to it the epithet
of efculentus, but of all the Fungi this is the leafl proper for eating, as it is not only fmall in quantity but
biting to the tafle, and tough as leather.
To the Student it affords a very good example of the Genus Hydnum.