Hericium
Encyclopedia
Hericium is a genus
of edible mushroom
s in the Hericiaceae
family. Species in this genus are white and fleshy and grow on dead or dying wood; fruiting bodies resemble a mass of fragile icicle-like spines that are suspended from either a branched supporting framework or from a tough, unbranched cushion of tissue. This distinctive structure has earned Hericium species a variety of common name
s—monkey's head, lion's mane, and bear's head are examples. Taxonomically
, this genus was previously placed within the order Aphyllophorales
, but recent molecular studies now place it in the Russulales
.
Hericium means hedgehog
in Latin
.
in 1794. It was mentioned by Elias Magnus Fries
in the Systema Mycologicum (1822); Fries considered it to be synonymous with the tribe Merisma of the genus Hydnum
. In 1825 he recognized Hericium as a distinct genus, although not in the same sense as the genus would be known later.
internal transcribed spacer
sequences of H. abietis, H. alpestre, H. americanum, H. coralloides, H. erinaceum, H. erinaceus and H. laciniatum. This analysis separated H. erinaceum from the six other Hericium species, and showed that H. erinaceus, H. abietis, H. americanum, and H. coralloides are closely related each to other but genetically diverged from H. alpestre and H. laciniatum. Molecular genetic marker
s have been developed that allow for quick and sensitive identification of Hericium species using the polymerase chain reaction
.
The Hericiaceae
family, to which Hericium belongs, belongs to the russuloid clade
of basidiomycetes, making it phylogenetically related to the Auriscalpiaceae
, the Bondarzewiaceae
, and the Echinodontiaceae
.
typically have short stalks and are attached laterally to the host tree. Mature specimens are easily identified by drooping spines which hang down; the spines may be arranged in clusters or more usually, in rows. Positive identification of immature specimens can be more difficult as they often begin as a single clump, developing their branches as they age. They have no caps and contain spiny amyloid
spore
s and numerous gloeopleurous hyphae filled with oil droplets. The spore
s are spherical to ellipsoid, smooth or covered with very fine warts.
are edible and are among the safest and most unmistakable mushrooms. Hericium are also widely consumed in China
. This genus is considered to be easily cultivated.
In China and Japan, species of Hericium are highly valued for their medicinal properties; in particular, H. erinaceus is used in traditional Chinese medicine
. In recent decades there has been considerable research interest in the bioactive properties of this species, and several compounds isolated from H. erinaceus have biological activities, including cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, stimulatory effects on nerve growth factor
synthesis, antimicrobial and nematicidal
activity, and antitumor activity.
Hericium species can be purchased in dried form for use in cooking and as medicine.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of edible mushroom
Edible mushroom
Edible mushrooms are the fleshy and edible fruiting bodies of several species of fungi. Mushrooms belong to the macrofungi, because their fruiting structures are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They can appear either below ground or above ground where they may be picked by hand...
s in the Hericiaceae
Hericiaceae
The Hericiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. The best known genus is Hericium, species of which are valued for their medicinal properties in Oriental medicine. Taxa are mainly known from north temperate regions, and are saprobic on rotting wood...
family. Species in this genus are white and fleshy and grow on dead or dying wood; fruiting bodies resemble a mass of fragile icicle-like spines that are suspended from either a branched supporting framework or from a tough, unbranched cushion of tissue. This distinctive structure has earned Hericium species a variety of common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s—monkey's head, lion's mane, and bear's head are examples. Taxonomically
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
, this genus was previously placed within the order Aphyllophorales
Aphyllophorales
The Aphyllophorales is an obsolete order of fungi in the Basidiomycota. The order is entirely artificial, bringing together a miscellany of species now grouped among the clavarioid fungi, corticioid fungi, cyphelloid fungi, hydnoid fungi, and poroid fungi....
, but recent molecular studies now place it in the Russulales
Russulales
The Russulales are an order of the Agaricomycetes,...
.
Hericium means hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
History
The genus Hericium was originally described by Christian Hendrik PersoonChristian Hendrik Persoon
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon was a mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy.-Early life:...
in 1794. It was mentioned by Elias Magnus Fries
Elias Magnus Fries
-External links:*, Authors of fungal names, Mushroom, the Journal of Wild Mushrooming.*...
in the Systema Mycologicum (1822); Fries considered it to be synonymous with the tribe Merisma of the genus Hydnum
Hydnum
Hydnum is a genus of fungi in the Hydnaceae family. They are notable for their unusual spore-bearing structures of teeth rather than gills. The best known are the edible species Hydnum repandum and H. rufescens. The word is derived from udnon/ύδνον, an Ancient Greek word for truffle...
. In 1825 he recognized Hericium as a distinct genus, although not in the same sense as the genus would be known later.
Phylogenetics
In 2004, the phylogenetic relationships of Hericium species were analysed by comparing the rDNARDNA
rDNA may stand for:*ribosomal DNA*recombinant DNARDNA is also an acronym for*Reformed Druids of North America...
internal transcribed spacer
Internal transcribed spacer
ITS refers to a piece of non-functional RNA situated between structural ribosomal RNAs on a common precursor transcript. Read from 5' to 3', this polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript contains the 5' external transcribed sequence , 18S rRNA, ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, ITS2, 28S rRNA and finally the 3'ETS...
sequences of H. abietis, H. alpestre, H. americanum, H. coralloides, H. erinaceum, H. erinaceus and H. laciniatum. This analysis separated H. erinaceum from the six other Hericium species, and showed that H. erinaceus, H. abietis, H. americanum, and H. coralloides are closely related each to other but genetically diverged from H. alpestre and H. laciniatum. Molecular genetic marker
Genetic marker
A genetic marker is a gene or DNA sequence with a known location on a chromosome that can be used to identify cells, individuals or species. It can be described as a variation that can be observed...
s have been developed that allow for quick and sensitive identification of Hericium species using the polymerase chain reaction
Polymerase chain reaction
The polymerase chain reaction is a scientific technique in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of DNA across several orders of magnitude, generating thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence....
.
The Hericiaceae
Hericiaceae
The Hericiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. The best known genus is Hericium, species of which are valued for their medicinal properties in Oriental medicine. Taxa are mainly known from north temperate regions, and are saprobic on rotting wood...
family, to which Hericium belongs, belongs to the russuloid clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
of basidiomycetes, making it phylogenetically related to the Auriscalpiaceae
Auriscalpiaceae
The Auriscalpiaceae are a family of fungi in the Russulales order. Like much of the Russulales, it has been defined through molecular phylogeny, and includes physically dissimilar species, such as the tooth fungus Auriscalpium and the gilled, often shelf-like members of Lentinellus. The family...
, the Bondarzewiaceae
Bondarzewiaceae
Bondarzewiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. The type species for both its genus and the family as a whole, Bondarzewia montana, closely resembles members of Polyporales , but has ornamented spores like those of Lactarius or Russula...
, and the Echinodontiaceae
Echinodontiaceae
The Echinodontiaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. Species of this family have a widespread distribution, although they are especially predominant in north temperate zones...
.
Description
The fruit bodiesBasidiocarp
In fungi, a basidiocarp, basidiome or basidioma , is the sporocarp of a basidiomycete, the multicellular structure on which the spore-producing hymenium is borne. Basidiocarps are characteristic of the hymenomycetes; rusts and smuts do not produce such structures...
typically have short stalks and are attached laterally to the host tree. Mature specimens are easily identified by drooping spines which hang down; the spines may be arranged in clusters or more usually, in rows. Positive identification of immature specimens can be more difficult as they often begin as a single clump, developing their branches as they age. They have no caps and contain spiny amyloid
Amyloid
Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates sharing specific structural traits. Abnormal accumulation of amyloid in organs may lead to amyloidosis, and may play a role in various neurodegenerative diseases.-Definition:...
spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s and numerous gloeopleurous hyphae filled with oil droplets. The spore
Spore
In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s are spherical to ellipsoid, smooth or covered with very fine warts.
Distribution and habitat
Hericium species are found in many countries around the world and may grow high up on dead tree trunks.Uses
All four species found in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
are edible and are among the safest and most unmistakable mushrooms. Hericium are also widely consumed in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. This genus is considered to be easily cultivated.
In China and Japan, species of Hericium are highly valued for their medicinal properties; in particular, H. erinaceus is used in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
. In recent decades there has been considerable research interest in the bioactive properties of this species, and several compounds isolated from H. erinaceus have biological activities, including cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, stimulatory effects on nerve growth factor
Nerve growth factor
Nerve growth factor is a small secreted protein that is important for the growth, maintenance, and survival of certain target neurons . It also functions as a signaling molecule. It is perhaps the prototypical growth factor, in that it is one of the first to be described...
synthesis, antimicrobial and nematicidal
Nematicide
A nematicide is a type of chemical pesticide used to kill parasitic nematodes.One common nematicide is obtained from neem cake, the residue obtained after cold-pressing the fruit and kernels of the neem tree. Known by several names in the world, the tree was first cultivated in India in ancient...
activity, and antitumor activity.
Hericium species can be purchased in dried form for use in cooking and as medicine.
Species
- Hericium abietisHericium abietisHericium abietis is an edible mushroom in the tooth fungus group. It grows on conifer stumps or logs, producing a cream white fruiting body up to tall and wide. It fruits from after the start of the fall rains to mid-season.-External links:...
- Hericium alpestre
- A European species, confirmed—using sexual incompatibility studies—to be a distinct species from H. coralloides in 1983. Found in montaneMontaneIn biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
areas, typically on newly-fallen trunks and stumps of Fir (Abies species). Spores are 5–6.5 by 4.5–5.5 µm.- Hericium americanum ("Bear's-head tooth")
- Hericium botryoides
- Hericium caput-medusae
- Hericium cirrhatum ("Spine-face")
- This species' fruiting body is branched, with shell-shaped capsPileus (mycology)The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
.- Hericium clathroides
- Hericium coralloidesHericium coralloidesHericium coralloides is a plant pathogen.- External links :* * * by Robert Sasata, Healing-Mushrooms.net, September, 2008....
("Comb tooth"; "coral spine fungus")
- Widely distributed in Europe, and found on Beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Fir. SporeSporeIn biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many bacteria, plants, algae, fungi and some protozoa. According to scientist Dr...
s have dimensions of 3.5–5 by 3–4 µm.- Hericium echinus
- Hericium erinaceusHericium erinaceusHericium erinaceus is an edible mushroom and medicinal mushroom in the tooth fungus group...
("Bearded tooth", "Tree hedgehog, "Monkeyhead")
- Found on living oak and beech trees.
- Hericium grande
- Hericium hystrix
- Hericium unguiculatum
Further reading
- Ginns, J. (1985). Hericium in North America: cultural characteristics and mating behavior. Canadian Journal of Botany 63: 1551-1563.
- Harrison, K. A. (1973). The genus Hericium in North America. Michigan Botanist 12: 177-194.