''Grifola'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Meripilaceae
The Meripilaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. The family was circumscribed by Swiss mycologist Walter Jülich in 1982 with ''Meripilus'' as the type genus. A 2008 estimate placed 7 genera and 57 species in Meripilaceae. , In ...
, which includes some
edible fungi
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruit bodies of several species of macrofungi (fungi which bear fruiting structures that are large enough to be seen with the naked eye). They can appear either below ground (hypogeous) or above ground ...
such as ''
Grifola frondosa
''Grifola frondosa'' (also known as hen-of-the-woods, in Japanese, ram's head or sheep's head) is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly old growth oaks or maples. It is typically found in late summer to early aut ...
'', commonly known as hen-of-the-woods (or maitake in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
); not to be confused with ''
Laetiporus sulphureus'', known among English speakers as chicken of the woods. The genus was
circumscribed
In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius.
Not every polyg ...
by
Samuel Frederick Gray in 1821.
References
External links
*
Meripilaceae
Polyporales genera
Fungi described in 1821
Taxa named by Samuel Frederick Gray
{{Polyporales-stub