Introduction
A single clump of this fungus can look almost like a tuft of white fur clinging to a tree trunk, its spines dangling more than 1 centimeter long in dense, icicle-like strands. That shaggy, cascading form is what gives the species its best-known common names: lion's mane, yamabushitake, bearded tooth fungus, and bearded hedgehog.
It belongs to the tooth fungus group, classified in the family Hericiaceae within the order Russulales, class Agaricomycetes, and phylum Basidiomycota, placing it firmly among the Fungi rather than plants or animals.
Part of what makes this species worth a closer look is the risk of confusing it with its close relatives. Several other Hericium species share its range and its shaggy, spine-covered form, so telling them apart takes a careful eye.
