Possible phellodon niger ?

[RMP234]

Hello these were growing on a forest track edge in a mixed wood, the nearest tree was a big old birch but mature oak and spruce and a few others were close by, they were between 2-4 cm across and roughly 2-3 cm high, there were 5 fruitbodies fairly close together.
I think they are phellodon niger although some photos of phellodon confluens look similar, all the fruitbodies were seperate and not fused together.
Hope you can confirm or point me in the right direction.

Thanks
Robert

[fairplay]

If your camera's colour rendition is correct, I would say these are not P.niger because I cannot see a blue/black cap colour, but I must admit I have never seen any Phellodon spp. at all living down here in Suffolk.

Neil.

[NickCantle]

Are they definitely spines and not pores?

[stickman]

On the second photo I'm definitely seeing spines....

Cheers,
Nick

[NickCantle]

Booger, I was going to deliver the bad news that it was possibly Coltricia but it's not

[RMP234]

Hello and thanks for replying, yes they are definately spines and I was thinking that either the colour had washed out a bit with all the rain we have had or that they were older ( or younger?)specimens. They were more of a blackish brown than a blackish purple, any idea what else they could be ?
Robert

[ashgale]

could this be an Hydnellum species something like concrescens?
my first thoughts were Thelephora, until the spines came into play

ashgale