Laricifomes officinalis
Encyclopedia
Laricifomes officinalis is a wood-decay
fungus
in the order Polyporales
. It causes brown heart rot
on conifers, and is found in Europe
, Asia
, and North America
, as well as Morocco
. It is commonly known as agarikon, as well as the quinine conk due to its extremely bitter taste. DNA analysis supports L. officinalis as being distinct from the genus Fomitopsis
.
) according to the writings of Pedanius Dioscorides
in 65 AD, and by some indigenous people to treat small pox. The presence of Agarikon at burial sites may indicate that its use was once widespread.
and spiritually to indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast
of North America, such as the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian
. L. officinalis was referred to as the "bread of ghosts" in local languages, and carved fruiting bodies marked the graves of tribal shamans.
Paul Stamets, pictured above, has suggested the importance of preserving this rare mushroom for the sake of anti-bioterrorism (as small pox still exists for the sake of bioterrorism) and was able to convince the American government to protect certain old growth forests as a matter of national defense. Paul Stamets owns the largest Agaricon culture collection with many strains. They are so rare he only harvests the fruit if the site is threatened with destruction, but instead takes a culture to clone it in his lab.
Wood-decay fungus
A wood-decay fungus is a variety of fungus that digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Some wood-decay fungi attack dead wood, such as brown rot, and some, such as Armillaria , are parasitic and colonize living trees. Fungi that not only grow on wood but actually cause it to decay, are called...
fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large 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, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
in the order Polyporales
Polyporales
The Polyporales are an order of fungi in the class Agaricomycetes. The order includes some polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics . Species within the order are saprotrophic, most of them wood-rotters...
. It causes brown heart rot
Heart rot
thumb|300px|right|The bracket fungus [[Fistulina hepatica]] is one of many that cause heart rot.In trees, heart rot is a fungal disease that causes the decay of wood at the center of the trunk and branches. Fungi enter the tree through wounds in the bark and decay the heartwood. The diseased...
on conifers, and is found in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and North America
North 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...
, as well as Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. It is commonly known as agarikon, as well as the quinine conk due to its extremely bitter taste. DNA analysis supports L. officinalis as being distinct from the genus Fomitopsis
Fomitopsis
Fomitopsis is a genus of bracket fungi in the family Fomitopsidaceae.The name means having the appearance of fomes.-Species:*Fomitopsis cajanderi*Fomitopsis palustris*Fomitopsis pinicola*Fomitopsis rosea*Fomitopsis spraguei...
.
Medicinal Use
Laricifomes officinalis was used by the Ancient Greeks to treat consumption (tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
) according to the writings of Pedanius Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides was a Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist, the author of a 5-volume encyclopedia about herbal medicine and related medicinal substances , that was widely read for more than 1,500 years.-Life:...
in 65 AD, and by some indigenous people to treat small pox. The presence of Agarikon at burial sites may indicate that its use was once widespread.
Conservation
Wild Agarikon is only found in old-growth forests, and grows on conifers, particularly Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) and larch (Larix). Conservation of wild populations of L. officinalis is a concern due to loss of ancient forest habitat. Because it is difficult to maintain long-term genetic integrity of laboratory-grown strains, it is necessary to preserve the mushroom in the wild.In culture
L. officinalis was important both medicinallyMedicinal mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms are mushrooms, or mushroom extracts, that are used or studied as possible treatments for diseases. Lentinula edodes , Grifola frondosa , Ganoderma lucidum , and Cordyceps, have a history of medicinal use spanning millennia in parts of Asia...
and spiritually to indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast
Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast
The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those historical peoples. They are now situated within the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the U.S...
of North America, such as the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
. L. officinalis was referred to as the "bread of ghosts" in local languages, and carved fruiting bodies marked the graves of tribal shamans.
Paul Stamets, pictured above, has suggested the importance of preserving this rare mushroom for the sake of anti-bioterrorism (as small pox still exists for the sake of bioterrorism) and was able to convince the American government to protect certain old growth forests as a matter of national defense. Paul Stamets owns the largest Agaricon culture collection with many strains. They are so rare he only harvests the fruit if the site is threatened with destruction, but instead takes a culture to clone it in his lab.
External links
- Index Fungorum
- USDA ARS Fungal Database
- Brown Trunk Rot, Common Tree Diseases of British Columbia, forestry-dev.org
- Agarikon, Cornell University Mushroom Blog