Greenfoot Tooth
Hydnellum glaucopus
Hydnellum glaucopus is a species of tooth fungus in the family Bankeraceae, first described as a new species in 1969 and reclassified to its current genus in 2019. The fungus produces firm, woody fruit bodies with caps reaching up to 10 cm across that range in colour from yellowish-brown to purplish-brown, featuring tooth-like spines on their underside that mature from white to pale purplish-brown.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydnellum_glaucopus
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Basidiomycota
Class
Agaricomycetes
Order
Thelephorales
Family
Bankeraceae
Genus
Hydnellum
Greenfoot Tooth belongs to the family Bankeraceae, order Thelephorales, within the Agaricomycetes class.
Species Profile
Hydnellum glaucopus is a species of tooth fungus in the family Bankeraceae, first described as a new species in 1969 and reclassified to its current genus in 2019. The fungus produces firm, woody fruit bodies with caps reaching up to 10 cm across that range in colour from yellowish-brown to purplish-brown, featuring tooth-like spines on their underside that mature from white to pale purplish-brown. Its flesh is primarily whitish with a yellow tint, turning distinctively greyish-green at the base of the stipe, and contains compounds called glaucopins. The species forms mycorrhizal partnerships with coniferous trees and is widespread across Europe, extending northward into Scandinavia.
Hydnellum glaucopus faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and land conversion, which destroys the old-growth forests it requires for survival. Air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition, alters soil chemistry and disrupts the delicate mycorrhizal relationships essential for this fungus. Climate change further threatens the species by altering temperature and moisture conditions in its specialized forest habitats.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Hydnellum glaucopus forms an ectomycorrhizal association—a mutually beneficial partnership between its fungal filaments and the roots of coniferous trees—typically fruiting on the forest floor among needle litter and moss. The species is widespread across Europe, with its range extending northward into Scandinavia; scattered occurrences have been recorded as far north as Finnmark in northern...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Hydnellum glaucopus faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and land conversion, which destroys the old-growth forests it requires for survival. Air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition, alters soil chemistry and disrupts the delicate mycorrhizal relationships essential for this fungus. Climate change further threatens the species by altering temperature and moisture conditions in its specialized forest habitats.
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation
Loss of old-growth forest ecosystems
Disruption of mycorrhizal host relationships
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Greenfoot Tooth (Hydnellum glaucopus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/greenfoot-tooth