- cap is up to 10cm wide, convex, smooth, dry, wavy at the edges, light brown with an orange tint.
- underside has distinctive spines that are cream-colored.
- flesh is white when cut, coloring unevenly to yellow-brown.
- stem is solid, white, possibly enlarging slightly towards the base.
- grows solitary or numerous on the ground in areas with conifers and hardwoods.
- appears in the summer and fall.
- has a pleasant taste with no odor; cook before eating.
- an edible look-alike is Hydnum umbilicatum, which is similar in appearance but smaller and with a darker cap, growing in bogs and swamps.
- an inedible (but not poisonous) look-alike is Bankera fuligineo-alba, which is similar in appearance but instead of a smooth cap has one with embedded pine needles and organic debris.
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