Candelabra coral or Coral tooth

There is no true cap. The fruiting body is coral-like and bushy, 4 to 10 centimeters tall, made up of numerous upright branching twigs. Its most distinctive feature is the branch tips, which bear small crown-like cups with several toothed points around the rim, like tiny wreaths. When young it is white, cream or pale ochre; with age it turns yellow, and it browns when handled and as it ages.

There is no true cap. The fruiting body is coral-like and heavily branched, 4 to 18 centimeters wide and tall, made up of numerous branches that fan out from a common base. From the underside of the branches hang numerous delicate, soft spines a few millimeters long. The color is snow white or cream when young; with age the branches and spines take on a yellowish-brown tint. The white "coral" structure with tiny spines is recognizable at first glance.

The spore-bearing surface is smooth and covers the whole surface of the branches. Spores form on the outer surface of the branches, with no gills or tubes. The spore print is white. The characteristic crown-like toothed branch tips are the key diagnostic feature that sets this mushroom apart from other coral fungi.

The hymenophore consists of spines hanging from the underside of the branching twigs. It is on the surface of these spines that the spores form. The spore print is white. A spiny hymenophore instead of gills or tubes is a hallmark of the Hericium genus, making these mushrooms unlike anything else.

There is no distinct stem; the fruiting body attaches to the wood by a short shared base from which the branches fan out. The base is whitish, sometimes with felty mycelium. The whole structure is springy and fairly firm, like a brittle little shrub.

There is no distinct stem; the fruiting body is attached to the wood by a short common base from which the branches spread. The base is whitish and firm. The whole structure is fairly brittle, especially in mature mushrooms, when the spines become fragile.

The flesh is white, springy-fibrous and fairly firm. In young mushrooms the taste is mild with a distinct peppery or slightly acrid note that grows into bitterness with age. When cut, the color barely changes; only old fruiting bodies turn yellow and brown overall. Only young, pale specimens are good for the table.

The flesh is white and tender, juicy and springy in young mushrooms, with a pleasant taste reminiscent of crab or chicken. It doesn't change color when cut. With age, as the fruiting body turns yellow, the flesh hardens and takes on a slightly bitter taste, so only young white specimens are chosen for the table.

The smell is faint and mushroomy, with no sharp notes. Aroma is not a defining feature; the mushroom is recognized above all by its coral-like shape with crown-like toothed branch tips and by its growth on dead hardwood.

The smell is faint, pleasant and mushroomy, with no sharp notes. Aroma is not a defining feature; the mushroom is recognized by its unique white coral-like shape with delicate hanging spines and by its growth on dead broadleaf wood.