| Sarcodon | |
|---|---|
|   | |
| Sarcodon imbricatus | |
|  Scientific classification   | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi | 
| Division: | Basidiomycota | 
| Class: | Agaricomycetes | 
| Order: | Thelephorales | 
| Family: | Bankeraceae | 
| Genus: |  Sarcodon  Quél. ex P.Karst. (1881)  | 
| Type species | |
|  Sarcodon imbricatus  (L.) P.Karst. (1881)  | |
| Species | |
See text  | |
Sarcodon is a genus of fungi 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] In 2024, Douch et al. transferred Sarcodon carbonarius to the genus Neosarcodon . [5]
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. [8] Isolates from the genus, called scabronines, may increase nerve growth factor synthesis in vitro. [9]