| Sarcodon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sarcodon imbricatus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Thelephorales |
| Family: | Bankeraceae |
| Genus: | Sarcodon Quél.exP.Karst. (1881) |
| Type species | |
| Sarcodon imbricatus (L.) P.Karst. (1881) | |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Sarcodon is a genusoffungi in the family Bankeraceae, which is part of the order Thelephorales, known for its almost universal ectomycorrhizal ecology.[1] The genus owes its name to the presence of teeth-like spines on the hymenophore, from ancient Greek; sarco = flesh and odon = tooth. For this reason they are commonly called "tooth fungi", or "Hydnoid fungi".
Sarcodon species have yellow to brown tinted basidiospores,[2] with lengths in the range of 7.4-9 μm.[3] The basidiomata are often soft and fleshy.[2]
As of September 2015[update], Index Fungorum listed 49 valid species of Sarcodon.[4] However, in 2019 Larsson et al. transferred 12 species into the genus Hydnellum.[3]
Several species within the Sarcodon genus, including S. imbricatus (see figure), are edible. The fungus can be bitter, but that is less apparent in younger specimens. In China, it is a popular edible mushroom and it is used to reduce cholesterol, relax the muscles, and improve blood circulation.[7] Isolates from the genus, called scabronines, may increase nerve growth factor synthesis in vitro.[8]
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