''Sarcodon squamosus'' is a species of

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from t ...

in the genus ''

Sarcodon ''Sarcodon'' is a genus of fungi in the family Bankeraceae, which is part of the order Thelephorales The Thelephorales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes corticioid and hydnoid fungi, together with a few ...

''. It is an edible mushroom that was previously regarded as a subspecies of ''

Sarcodon imbricatus ''Sarcodon imbricatus'', commonly known as the shingled hedgehog or scaly hedgehog, is a species of tooth fungus in the order Thelephorales. The mushroom is edible. Many sources report it has a bitter taste, but others have found it delicious ...

''. For many years, ''S. imbricatus'' was described associated with both spruce and pine, although the latter forms were smaller and noted to be more palatable by mushroom hunters in Norway. Molecular analysis of the DNA revealed the two forms to be distinct genetically, and thus populations of what had been described as ''S. imbricatus'' were now assigned to ''Sarcodon squamosus'', which includes collections in the British Isles and the Netherlands.The mushroom often grows in large

fairy ring A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. Fairy rings are detectable by ...

s near pine heaths and in rocky flat soil. The cap is 10 to 15 cm wide, shallowly funnel-shaped. The color is gray-brown to black. The pileipillis has dark scales that are placed in concentric circles. The smell is pleasant and the taste mild. They belong to growing areas with old trees where both the forest type and the growth type have a long continuity and they do not withstand complete felling. From the point of view of mushroom dyeing, it is significant as one of only mushroom species that can dye with shades of blue. Brown shades are obtained from young mushrooms, while older, almost mature ones give rarer shades of blue, turquoise and green.

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* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3845782 Fungi described in 1774 Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America squamosus Taxa named by Jacob Christian Schäffer