Sparassis crispa

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Sparassis crispa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales
Family: Sparassidaceae
Genus: Sparassis
Species:
S. crispa
Binomial name
Sparassis crispa
(Wulfen) Fr. (1821)
Synonyms
  • Clavaria crispa Wulfen (1781)
  • Sparassis radicata Weir 1917
Sparassis crispa
View the Mycomorphbox template that generates the following list
Smooth hymenium
No distinct cap
Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable
Lacks a stipe or is bare
Spore print is white to cream
Ecology is
saprotrophic
Edibility is choice

Sparassis crispa is a species of fungus in the family Sparassidaceae. It is sometimes called cauliflower fungus.[1]

Description

S. crispa grows in an entangled globe that is up to 60 centimetres (24 inches) in diameter. The lobes, which carry the spore-bearing surface, are flat and wavy, resembling lasagna noodles, coloured white to creamy yellow. When young they are tough and rubbery but later they become soft. They are

monomitic.[2]
The odour is pleasant and the taste of the flesh mild.

The spore print is cream, the smooth oval spores measuring about 5–7 µm by 3.5–5 µm.[3][2] The flesh contains clamp connections.[4]

Similar species

The less well-known S. brevipes, found in Europe, can be distinguished by its less crinkled, zoned folds and lack of clamp connections.[4][2]

Distribution and habitat

This species is fairly common in Great Britain and temperate Europe (but not in the boreal zone). It is a brown rot fungus, found growing at the base of conifer trunks, often pines, but also spruce, cedar, larch and others.[4][2]

In the North American Pacific Northwest, it can be found from August to November.[5]

  • Sparassis crispa growing at the base of a fir tree near Ehrenbach, Germany
    Sparassis crispa growing at the base of a fir tree near Ehrenbach, Germany
  • Specimen in Tervuren, Belgium
    Specimen in Tervuren, Belgium

Uses

It is considered a good

edible fungus when young and fresh,[3] though it is difficult to clean. (A toothbrush and running water are recommended.) One French cookbook, which gives four recipes for this species, says that grubs and pine needles can get caught up in holes in the jumbled mass of flesh. The Sparassis should be blanched in boiling water for 2–3 minutes before being added to the rest of the dish.[6][1] It should be cooked slowly.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Roger Phillips (1998). Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain & Europe. Cavaye Place, London SW10 9PG: Pan Books. p. 255.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-691-18037-3
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-340-39935-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link
    )
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-0-9572094-2-8
    .}
  5. ^ "Seasonal Chart for Edible Mushrooms". Central Oregon Mushroom Club. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  6. ISBN 2-7373-2275-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link
    )
  7. ISBN 978-0-7627-3109-1
    .

External links
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