The tooth fungi include a diverse group of species, sharing a single feature - the spore-bearing
surface, usually on the underside of the fruiting body, is covered with teeth.
Included here are the mushroom-like Hydnum spp., crust fungi, and leathery bracket fungi.
The highly gelatinous, rubbery Pseudophydnum, with an almlost translucent, pale grey
fruiting body, is included with the jelly fungi.
Biologically these fungi range from saprobes, to wood-rotters, to ectomycorrhizas.
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Polypore fungi forming bracket to crust-like basidiocarps, causing a white rot of dead wood.
Five or six species have been reported from New Zealand, almost all apparently restricted to the North
Island. One exception is a species referred to by G.H. Cunningham as Poria undata (an incorrectly
applied Northern Hemisphere name); this has a curious distribuition with two centres, one...
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Known popularly as fungus icicles. Large, cascading masses of narrow, down-ward projecting, tapering white branches. Saprobic on wood.
Distinguished from most fungi included in this group, because the branches of the fruiting body hang downwards. A single native New Zealand species.
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Mushroom-like fruiting bodies with teeth rather than gills on underside, stalk often somewhat eccentric.
Ectomycorrhizal under Nothofagus and tea-tree.
Several subspecies have been described for H. crocidens which appear to be specialised with respect to substrate. Under tea-tree hosts are Hydnum crocidens var. badium (with a dark brown cap) and Hydnum croci...
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Dark brown, velvety caps, with dark brown stalks. Two species are recorded from New Zealand.
Sarcodon thwaitesii is widespread in tropical Asia. The fact that it has been recorded to the very south of New Zealand suggests that a different species may be involved. Tropical species typically are restricted to more northern areas. S. ionides is recorded from Europe and New Zealand...
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