Coral toothHericium coralloides

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 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 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 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, 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.