Sarcodon imbricatus has long been used to extract blue and greenish pigment
s for wool dyeing. We found that fruit bodies growing with Pinus sylvestris
seemed to be superior for dyeing compared to fruit bodies growing with Pic
ea abies, and macroscopical differences between the forms indicated that th
ey are different taxa. By studying sequences of rDNA ITS and macroscopical
characters, two species were recognized. Sarcodon imbricatus grows in assoc
iation with Picea, and S. squamosus with Pinus. The latter species, describ
ed by Schaeffer in 1774, has been lumped with S. imbricatus during the past
50 years, creating great confusion among woof dyers.