Rare Dutch mushrooms, good news, but still vulnerable

This is a video from France, with English subtitles, on terracotta hedgehog fungi.

Translated from the Dutch Mycological Society:

Dec 16, 2015 – Last week there were again pretty terracotta hedgehog fungi at a location on the inner edge of the sand dunes in Bergen (North Holland province). They have been coming here for some years faithfully at the foot of a huge beech tree. Not far away at the edge of a grove on the Zuiderachterveld south of Bergen aan Zee are also terracotta hedgehog fungi. Here they are among oak and beech trees.

Terracotta hedgehog fungi

The terracotta hedgehog fungus (Hydnum rufescens) lives in symbiosis (mycorrhiza-forming) with deciduous trees in forests and along avenues. In the Netherlands this species has never been found (yet) under coniferous trees. This contrasts with its occurrence of central and northern Europe, where it may be numerous in coniferous forests. The locations of the terracotta hedgehog fungus are characterized by nutrient-poor to moderately nutrient-rich and slightly moist, slightly acidic to neutral, often silty sand. Sometimes also on calcareous soils.

In the 1996 Red List the terracotta hedgehog fungus was designated as “Threatened with extinction.” In 2003 it only lived in 13 areas, but on the current distribution map the terracotta hedgehog fungus is in 25 areas. A positive development because it means almost a doubling of the number of areas. But with its appearance in 25 areas the terracotta hedgehog fungus is still quite rare. The terracotta hedgehog fungus is still on the Red List, but now as “Vulnerable” because it also disappeared in some areas.

Rare mushrooms found in Dutch Drenthe province: here.