Pholiota squarrosa is a species of
mushroom in the family
Strophariaceae. Common in North America and Europe, it is a secondary parasite, in that it attacks trees that have already been weakened from prior injury or infection by bacteria or other fungi. It has a wide range of hosts among
deciduous trees, although it can also infect
conifers. It can also live as a
saprobe, deriving nutrients from decomposing wood. The mushroom is typically found growing in clusters at the base of trees and stumps, and is covered in small, pointed scales that are pointed downward and backward. This
P. squarrosa cluster was photographed near Ingstetten in
Schelklingen, Germany.
Photograph credit: Holger Krisp