Thelephora penicillata

Thelephora penicillata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Thelephorales
Family:	Thelephoraceae
Genus:	Thelephora
Species:	T. penicillata
Binomial name
Thelephora penicillata (Pers.) Fr. (1821)
Synonyms
Phylacteria mollissima f. byssoideofimbriata Bourdot & Galzin (1772)

Thelephora penicillata is a species of fungus.

Distribution

Sometimes called the urchin earthfan in English, this ectomycorrhizal mushroom occurs mainly in western Europe an eastern North America, though scattered observations indicate it may occur in the right habitats worldwide.

Habitat

The fungus is described as fairly common in wet, acidic conifer plantations with acidic soil throughout Britain and Ireland, though also sometimes found in mossy areas beneath broad-leaved trees. It appears from late summer to the end of autumn.

As a hyperaccumulator

Thelephora penicillata has been found to accumulate in its fruiting bodies extraordinarily high concentrations of the elements cadmium, arsenic, copper and zinc fruit-bodies. It concentrates such high amounts of cadmium that it is regarded as a hyperaccumulator. In the environment, contact with too much cadmium can cause cadmium poisoning. Hyperaccumulators are receiving attention because of their possible use in bioremediation where environmental pollutants have reached dangerous levels.