#20 - Fuling (Wolfiporia hoelen)

MycoBank Taxonomy: Fungi, Dikarya, Basidiomycota, Agaricomycotina, Agaricomycetes, Polyporales, Phaeolaceae, Wolfiporia

​Wolfiporia (Polyporaceae, Basidiomycota) would be an unremarkable fungus—exciting only to specialists of resupinate polypores and other lovers of such crusty things—if not for its mega-sized, medicinal sclerotium. A sclerotium (plural: sclerotia) is a compact mass of hyphae, typically with a melanized rind, that serves as a “resting” structure for survival during periods of unfavorable conditions such as drought and fire. With a diameter sometimes exceeding two feet, a weight up to seven pounds, and a thick, bark-like husk, Wolfiporia sclerotia resemble a large, buried coconut. The genus name Wolfiporia honors Frederick Wolf, the first Western mycologist to publish the link between these mysterious underground mycelial masses and their inconspicuous mushrooms in 1922 (1). Called fuling (茯苓) in Chinese, Wolfiporia sclerotia have been revered in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2000 years as a treatment for vomiting, insomnia, and numerous other ailments (2). Previously classified as Wolfiporia cocos (or synonyms such as Poria cocos, Pachyma cocos, and W. extensa), recent studies have clarified that W. cocos is actually restricted to North America and the name W. hoelen best applies to the Chinese species (3–5). Common names in English include Indian bread and tuckahoe—an Anglicized Native American word appropriated by white botanists for Wolfiporia cocos (1). When researching and shopping for fuling, you’ll encounter all these different names, which can make things pretty confusing!  

Read More