Sparassis crispa
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''Sparassis crispa'' is a species of
fungus 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 t ...
in the family Sparassidaceae. It is sometimes called cauliflower fungus.


Description

''S. crispa'' grows in an entangled globe that is up to in diameter. The lobes, which carry the spore-bearing surface, are flat and wavy, resembling lasagna noodles, coloured white to creamy yellow. When young they are tough and rubbery but later they become soft (they are
monomitic A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one or ...
). The odour is pleasant and the taste of the flesh mild. The spore print is cream, the smooth oval spores measuring about 5–7 µm by 3.5–5 µm. The flesh contains clamp connections.


Ecology, distribution and related species

This species is a brown rot fungus, found growing at the base of conifer trunks, often
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
s, but also spruce,
cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...
,
larch Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains fur ...
and others. It is fairly common in Great Britain and temperate Europe (but not in the boreal zone). In Europe there is also a less well-known species of the same genus, ''Sparassis brevipes'', which can be distinguished by its less crinkled, zoned folds and lack of clamp connections. File:Cauliflower fungus, Ehrenbach.jpg, Sparassis crispa growing at the base of a fir tree near Ehrenbach File:Sparassis brevipes - Robichaux.jpg, ''S. brevipes'', a similar species


Culinary use

It is considered a good edible fungus when young and fresh, though it is difficult to clean (a toothbrush and running water are recommended for that process). One French cookbook, which gives four recipes for this species, says that grubs and pine needles can get caught up in holes in the jumbled mass of flesh. The ''Sparassis'' should be blanched in boiling water for 2–3 minutes before being added to the rest of the dish. It should be cooked slowly.


See also

* '' Sparassis spathulata''


References

} {{Taxonbar, from=Q36992 Edible fungi Fungi described in 1781 Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Polyporales