 The fruit bodies of Hydnellum peckii are found growing solitary , scattered , or clustered together on the ground under conifers , often among mosses and pine needle litter . H. peckii is a " late @-@ stage " fungus that , in boreal forests dominated by jack pine , typically begins associating with more mature hosts once the canopy has closed . A preference for mountainous or subalpine ecosystems has been noted . 
