Terracotta hedgehog or Devil's tooth

The cap is 2 to 6 cm across, sometimes larger, convex then flatter, often irregular, lobed or wavy at the edge and lumpy, without a deep funnel. It often sits slightly off-centre on the stem.

The surface is dry and finely felty or velvety. It's orange-red, terracotta or brownish orange, paler towards the edge, and fades with age.

The cap is 4-10 cm across, convex at first, then flat and spreading, with an uneven, wavy edge and sometimes a crater-like dip in the centre. Young caps are white or cream, with red droplets of exudate on the porous surface. The surface is velvety-felty and rough. As it ages, the red drops dry up and the cap turns grey-brown to dark brown, with uneven lumpy outgrowths.

Instead of gills there are crowded, soft spines 2 to 5 mm long that hang like stalactites, whitish, pink or peachy, and brush off easily. They stop at the top of the stem and don't run down it.

The spore print is white.

The underside is covered in spines (small sharp teeth), typical of the genus Hydnellum. They're thin, 2-5 mm long, whitish at first, turning pinkish brown to purplish brown with age. The spore print is brown.

The stem is 2 to 6 cm tall and usually 0.5 to 1.5 cm thick, solid, whitish or pinkish white, bruising orange-brown when touched or pressed, and often pointed at the base.

The stem is 2-5 cm tall and 1-3 cm thick, short and coarse, and sometimes fused with its neighbours. It's red-brown to brown, with a velvety surface and no ring.

The flesh is firm, whitish with pink or salmon tones.

The flesh is dense and corky, dark reddish brown, with darker and lighter concentric zones when cut. The taste is burning and bitter; the mushroom is impossible to eat.

The smell is indistinct.

A faint mealy or earthy smell. The taste is extremely hot, bitter and peppery: even the tiniest taste burns the tongue.