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Grifola frondosa, also known as hen-of-the-woods, sheep's head, ram's head, or in Japanese, is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly old growth or . It is native to China, Europe, and North America.
It is an edible mushroom long used in East Asian cuisine and studied for its potential health benefits, though no high-quality clinical evidence supports its medicinal use.
G. frondosa grows from an underground tuber-like structure known as a sclerotium, about the size of a potato. The fruiting body, individually up to across but whole clumps up to , rarely , is a cluster consisting of multiple grayish-brown caps 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, the can grow to more than .
It occurs most prolifically in eastern North America, but has been found as far west as Idaho.
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.
There are reviews of D-faction extracted from Maitake, including completed Phase I/II clinical trial demonstrating that "Treatment with sulfated polysaccharide obtained from Grifola frondosa (S-GFB) resulted in apoptosis of HepG2 cells", and "In a phase I/II trial of breast cancer survivors, Grifola frondosa extract acted as an immunomodulator." Same trial has concluded: "There appears to be no “maximum dose”, only “optimal dose” depending on the immunologic endpoint."[1]
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 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 China, Europe (August to October), and eastern North America (from September to October).
Uses
The species is a choice edible mushroom, especially the young caps when slow cooked, although some may be allergic to it. The softer caps must be thoroughly cooked. It can also be pickled.
Research
Although under basic research and preliminary clinical research for many years, particularly for the possible biological effects of its , there are no completed, high-quality Phase III clinical studies for the species .
See also
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