Wolfiporia extensa | |
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Wolfiporia extensa sclerotium | |
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Species: | W. extensa
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Binomial name | |
Wolfiporia extensa | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Wolfiporia extensa( syn. Poria cocos F.A.Wolf), commonly known as hoelen, poria, tuckahoe, China root, fu ling (茯苓, pīnyīn: fúlíng), or matsuhodo, is a fungus in the family Polyporaceae. 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, known as Tuckahoe or fu-ling ( Chinese: 茯苓; pinyin: fúlíng), 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 in Chinese medicine. [2] 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. [3]
Wolfiporia extensa is a source of a triterpenoid compound, pachymic acid, 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. [4]
Wolfiporia extensa | |
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Pores on hymenium | |
No distinct cap | |
Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable | |
Lacks a stipe | |
Spore print is white | |
Ecology is saprotrophic or parasitic | |
Edibility is inedible or edible |