Grifola frondosa
species of fungus
Grifola frondosa, also known as hen-of-the-woods, sheep's head, ram's head, or maitake (舞茸, "dancing mushroom") in Japanese, is a polypore mushroom that grows at the base of trees, particularly old growth oaks or maples. 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.
Description
G. frondosa grows from an underground tuber-like structure known as a sclerotium, about the size of a potato. The fruiting bodies form clumps up to 50 cm (20 in) or rarely 150 cm (60 in). The mushrooms toughen as they mature.
The caps are grayish-brown, often curled or spoon-shaped, with wavy margins and 2–10 cm (1–4 in) broad. The undersurface of each cap bears about one to three pores per millimeter, with the tubes rarely deeper than 3 mm (1⁄8 in). The cream-coloured stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure. The spore print is white.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Grifola frondosa” as species of fungus. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of fungus. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1165686.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Grifola frondosa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.