''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

maple ''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...

s. It is native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. It is an

edible mushroom Edible mushrooms are the fleshy fruit bodies of numerous species of macrofungi (fungi that bear fruiting structures large enough to be seen with the naked eye). Edibility may be defined by criteria including the absence of poisonous effect ...

long used in East Asian cuisine and studied for its potential

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

benefits, though no high-quality clinical evidence supports its medicinal use.

Description

Like the sulphur shelf mushroom, ''G. frondosa'' is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

fungus that often grows in the same place for several years in succession. ''G. frondosa'' grows from an underground

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

-like structure known as a sclerotium, about the size of a

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

. The fruiting body, individually up to across but whole clumps up to , rarely , is a cluster consisting of multiple grayish-brown

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

s which are often curled or spoon-shaped, with wavy margins and broad. The undersurface of each cap bears about one to three pores per millimeter, with the tubes rarely deeper than . The cream-coloured stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures. In

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, the can grow to more than . File:Klapperschwamm.jpg File:Maitake mushroom.jpg, Close-up File:Grifola frondosa cross-section.jpg, Cross-section File:Grifola frondosa 2014 G3.jpg, From Vinnytsia Raion,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Similar species

''G. frondosa'' is a very distinct mushroom except for its cousin, the black staining mushroom, which is similar in taste but rubbery. Edible species which look similar to ''G. frondosa'' include '' Meripilus sumstinei'' (which stains black), '' Sparassis spathulata'' and '' Laetiporus sulphureus'', another edible bracket fungus that is commonly called chicken of the woods or "sulphur shelf". '' Polyporus umbellatus'' has distinct roundish caps.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to

, Europe (August to October), and eastern

(from September to October). It occurs most prolifically in the northeastern United States, but has been found as far west as

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Uses

The species is a choice

. Maitake has been consumed for centuries in China and Japan where it is one of the major culinary mushrooms. The mushroom is used in many Japanese dishes, such as '' nabemono''. The softer caps must be thoroughly cooked. File:Maitake Mushroom Tempura 2021 Grifola frondosa 舞茸の天ぷら.jpg, Maitake tempura File:Maitake rice (4348648458).jpg, In '' takikomi gohan'' File:Maitake soba noodle (5539374215).jpg, With soba noodles

Research

Although under

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...

and preliminary

clinical research Clinical research is a branch of medical research that involves people and aims to determine the effectiveness (efficacy) and safety of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for improving human health. The ...

for many years, particularly for the possible biological effects of its

polysaccharide Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long-chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with wat ...

s, there are no completed, high-quality clinical studies for the species .

References

External links

* {{Authority control Edible fungi Experimental cancer treatments Fungi in cultivation Fungi described in 1785 Fungi of Europe Fungi of North America Medicinal fungi Meripilaceae Taxa named by James Dickson (botanist) Fungus species Fungi used for fiber dyes