Terracotta hedgehog or Wood hedgehog
Terracotta hedgehog and Wood hedgehog are similar species that can be mixed up while foraging. The main visible difference: flesh colour change: Terracotta hedgehog — darkens, Wood hedgehog — yellowing. The mushrooms also differ in the following features: smell.
Not sure? Identify by photoSide by side
| Characteristic | Terracotta hedgehog | Wood hedgehog |
|---|---|---|
| Use | Terracotta hedgehog: Cook fresh | Wood hedgehog: Cook fresh, Drying, Pickling |
| Size | Terracotta hedgehog: Small (up to 5 cm), Medium (5–15 cm) | Wood hedgehog: Medium (5–15 cm) |
| Cap colour | Terracotta hedgehog: Orange, Rusty | Wood hedgehog: Cream, Yellow, Orange |
| Cap shape | Terracotta hedgehog: Convex, Irregular, Flat | Wood hedgehog: Irregular |
| Cap surface | Terracotta hedgehog: Velvety, Dry | Wood hedgehog: Velvety |
| Taste | Terracotta hedgehog: — | Wood hedgehog: Mild |
| Smell | Terracotta hedgehog: Odourless | Wood hedgehog: Pleasant |
| Flesh colour change | Terracotta hedgehog: Darkens | Wood hedgehog: Yellowing |
| Stem | Terracotta hedgehog: Central, Eccentric, Solid | Wood hedgehog: Central |
| Substrate | Terracotta hedgehog: Soil, Moss, Leaf litter | Wood hedgehog: Soil, Moss, Forest litter |
| Partner trees | Terracotta hedgehog: Spruce, Pine, Beech, Oak | Wood hedgehog: Pine, Spruce, Beech, Oak, Fir |
| Growth habit | Terracotta hedgehog: Solitary, In groups, In rings | Wood hedgehog: In groups, In rings |
Same in both: edibility class, season, hymenophore, nutrition type.
When and where they meet
Together: August–November
Their seasons overlap: August–November. At that time you can find both in the same woods. Shared habitats: conifer forest, mixed forest, deciduous forest.
What they look like
Cap, Hymenophore, Stem, Flesh, Smell
Cap
Terracotta hedgehog
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.
Wood hedgehog
The cap is 4-15 cm across and irregular, with an unevenly wavy margin. Convex when young, it flattens and spreads out with age, with a lumpy surface and a depressed centre. It's ivory, cream or ochre-yellow to light orange, turning reddish-brown in old mushrooms. The surface is dry and silky, like suede, and slightly sticky in wet weather. The cap skin is thin and peels easily.
Hymenophore
Terracotta hedgehog
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.
Wood hedgehog
The spines are the key diagnostic feature. The underside of the cap is densely packed with thin, pointed spines 3-6 mm long that break off easily. They're white to cream, yellowing with age and turning reddish-ochre in old mushrooms. The spore print is white.
Stem
Terracotta hedgehog
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.
Wood hedgehog
The stem is 3-8 cm tall and 1-3 cm thick, cylindrical, often widening toward the base, sometimes eccentric (off-centre from the cap). It's white to cream, yellowing slightly where pressed. The surface is smooth, with no ring. The stem flesh is firm, becoming spongy in old mushrooms.
Flesh
Terracotta hedgehog
The flesh is firm, whitish with pink or salmon tones.
Wood hedgehog
The flesh is thick, white, firm and brittle, and slowly turns pale ochre when cut (a slight yellowing). Young mushrooms have a delicate, pleasant nutty flavour; mature ones have a slightly bitter aftertaste that goes away after a brief boil.
Smell
Terracotta hedgehog
The smell is indistinct.
Wood hedgehog
A faint, pleasant mushroomy-fruity smell with a hint of fresh nuts. The taste is mild and delicate, slightly bitter in old mushrooms.
Related comparisons
Sources · 17
- [1]Index Fungorum
- [2]GBIF
- [3]Wikipedia (English)
- [4]Википедия (русская)
- [5]First Nature: Hydnum rufescens, Terracotta Hedgehog
- [6]First Nature: Hydnum repandum, Wood Hedgehog
- [7]Wild Food UK: Terracotta Hedgehog
- [8]The Foraging Course Company: Foraging guide, Terracotta Hedgehog
- [9]Niskanen T., Liimatainen K., Nuytinck J., Kirk P. et al. Identifying and naming the currently known diversity of the genus Hydnum, with an emphasis on European and North American taxa. Mycologia, 2018, Niskanen T., Liimatainen K., Nuytinck J., Kirk P. et al. (2018)
- [10]Campbell D. On Eating Raw Mushrooms. Mycena News, 2008, Campbell D. (2008)
- [11]vlisi.com.ua: Їжовик жовтий (Hydnum repandum)
- [12]Wikigrib: Ежовик красновато-жёлтый
- [13]GBIF: знахідки Hydnum rufescens в Україні
- [14]Вікіпедія (українська)
- [15]Атлас грибів України, Зеров Д.К. (1979)
- [16]MycoBank Database
- [17]iNaturalist Ukraine