Bearded tooth  (Hericium erinaceum)

The true status of bearded tooth fungus is not known fully, however, old woods with a long history are disappearing in this country, and there has also been a tradition of ‘tidying up’ dead and diseased trees. Furthermore, there is a threat from collectors who remove the fruit bodies for botanical or culinary use, before the spores have been produced.

As well as being protected by law, the bearded tooth fungus is also listed in the UK Biodiversity Action Plans (UK BAPs), and included in English Nature’s Species Recovery Programme (SRP). In order to preserve this attractive species, it is important to maintain its existing populations and ensure that appropriate woodland management is encouraged. One fortunate feature is that this fungus can be cultivated ex-situ . This will allow for a process of inoculation of suitable host trees should it become necessary to do this. In the meantime, mycologists (fungi specialists) are being encouraged to pass all records of this species to a national database. The bearded tooth fungus received a boost by featuring in English Nature’s Species Recovery Programme calendar for the year 2001, a novel pin-up indeed.