Grifola frondosa

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"Ram's Head" redirects here. For locations with that name, see Ram Head. For the military skill badge, see Ram's Head Device. For the head of the male animal, see sheep.

Maitake
Eikhaas.JPG
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Basidiomycota
Class:
Agaricomycetes
Order:
Polyporales
Family:
Meripilaceae
Genus:
Grifola
Species:
G. frondosa
Binomial name
Grifola frondosa
(Dicks.) Gray (1821)
Synonyms
  • Boletus frondosus Dicks. (1785)
  • Polyporus frondosus Fr.[1]

Grifola frondosa (also known as hen-of-the-woods, maitake (舞茸, "dancing mushroom") in Japanese, ram's head or sheep's head) is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly oaks. It is typically found in late summer to early autumn. It is native to China, Europe, and North America.[2]

Grifola frondosa
View the Mycomorphbox template that generates the following list
pores on hymenium
cap is offset or indistinct
hymenium is decurrent
stipe is bare
spore print is white
ecology is parasitic
edibility: choice

Description[]

Like the sulphur shelf mushroom, G. frondosa is a perennial fungus that often grows in the same place for a number of years in succession. It occurs most prolifically in the northeastern regions of the United States, but has been found as far west as Idaho.[citation needed]

G. frondosa grows from an underground tuber-like structure known as a sclerotium, about the size of a potato. The fruiting body, occurring as large as 100 centimetres (40 inches), rarely 150 cm (60 in), is a cluster consisting of multiple grayish-brown caps which are often curled or spoon-shaped, with wavy margins and 2–10 cm (1–4 in) broad.[3] The undersurface of each cap bears about one to three pores per millimeter, with the tubes rarely deeper than 3 mm (1⁄8 in).[3] The milky-white stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures.[citation needed]

In Japan, the maitake can grow to more than 45 kilograms (100 pounds), earning this giant mushroom the title "king of mushrooms".[4]

Identification[]

Some similar-looking species are toxic.[citation needed] Edible species which look similar to Grifola frondosa include Meripilus sumstinei (which stains black), Sparassis spathulata[5] and Laetiporus sulphureus, another edible bracket fungus that is commonly called chicken of the woods or "sulphur shelf".

Uses[]

The species is a choice edible mushroom.[6] Maitake has been consumed for centuries in China and Japan[7] where it is one of the major culinary mushrooms.[citation needed] The mushroom is used in many Japanese dishes, such as nabemono.[citation needed] The softer caps must be thoroughly cooked.[3]

Research[]

Although under laboratory and preliminary clinical research for many years, particularly for the possible biological effects of its polysaccharides, there are no completed, high-quality clinical studies for Grifola frondosa as of 2019.[7][8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ McIlvaine, Charles; Robert K. Macadam; and Robert L. Shaffer. 1973. One Thousand American Fungi. Dover Publications. New York. 729 pp. (Polyporus frondosus, pp. 482-483 & Plate CXXVIII.)
  2. ^ Meuninck, Jim (2015-06-01). Jim Meuninck - Basic Illustrated Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms, pp. 13-14, Rowman & Littlefield, 1 Jun 2015. ISBN 9781493014682. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c Phillips, Roger (2010). Mushrooms and Other Fungi of North America. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-55407-651-2.
  4. ^ https://www.botanical-online.com/en/mushrooms/maitake-mushroom-properties
  5. ^ Meuninck, Jim (2017). Foraging Mushrooms Oregon: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Mushrooms. Falcon Guides. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-4930-2669-2.
  6. ^ Miller Jr., Orson K.; Miller, Hope H. (2006). North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi. Guilford, CN: FalconGuides. p. 420. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Maitake, Grifola frondosa". Drugs.com. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Maitake". Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.

External links[]

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