''Wolfiporia extensa'' (Peck) Ginns (''

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

'' ''Poria cocos'' F.A.Wolf) is a fungus in the family

Polyporaceae The Polyporaceae are a family of poroid fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota. The flesh of their fruit bodies varies from soft (as in the case of the dryad's saddle illustrated) to very tough. Most members of this family have their hymeniu ...

. It is a wood-decay fungus but has a subterranean growth habit. It is notable in the development of a large, long-lasting underground sclerotium that resembles a small coconut. This sclerotium called "(Chinese) Tuckahoe" or fu-ling (), is not the same as the true tuckahoe used as Indian bread by Native Americans, which is the arrow arum, '' Peltandra virginica'', a flowering tuberous plant in the arum family. ''W. extensa'' is also used extensively as a

medicinal mushroom Medicinal fungi are fungi that contain metabolites or can be induced to produce metabolites through biotechnology to develop prescription drugs. Compounds successfully developed into drugs or under research include antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, ...

in Chinese medicine. Indications for use in the traditional Chinese medicine include promoting urination, to invigorate the spleen function (i.e., digestive function), and to calm the mind.Bensky D, Clavey S, Stoger E. (2004) Eastland Press, Inc. Seattle, 3rd ed. . p. 267

Names

Common names include hoelen, poria, tuckahoe, China root, fu ling (,

pīnyīn Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese form ...

: fúlíng), and matsuhodo.

Botanical extract

''Wolfiporia extensa'' is a source of a

triterpenoid Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...

compound,

pachymic acid Pachymic acid is a naturally occurring steroid that can be extracted from the parasitic fungus ''Wolfiporia extensa'' (synonym ''Wolfiporia cocos''). The dried sclerotia of the fungus is used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and pachymic acid i ...

, which has been the object of scientific study based upon the mushroom's role in traditional Chinese medicine. The species is often called ''cocos'' in this context.

References

External links

Hoelen (Poria)
by Cancer Research UK, 2001 {{Taxonbar, from=Q3115198 Fungi described in 1891 Fungi of Asia Fungi of North America Medicinal fungi Polyporaceae Fungi used in traditional Chinese medicine Taxa named by Charles Horton Peck