The strap coral mushroom, Clavariadelphus ligula (Schaeff.) Donk.
Classification
Kingdom Fungi
Phylum Basidiomycota
Class Basidiomycetes
Order Phallales
Family Gomphaceae
Genus Clavariadelphus
Synonym
Clavaria ligula Schaeff.
Fung. Bavar. Palat. 4: 116 (1774)
Common names
Strap coral mushroom
Tongue mushroom
Description
Fruiting body: 3-10 cm tall, 0.5-1.5 cm wide (at apex), cylindrical to narrowly clavate, the apex appearing slightly flattened or blunt; surface roughened, cream to orange-buff to yellowish-brown, fine white tomentose base.
Flesh: spongy, not brittle, white;green in ferric sulphate solution.
Odor: none.
Taste: slightly bitter.
Spores: 8-18 x 3-6 µm, nonamyloid, ellipsoid, smooth, entire.
Spore print: white.
Edibility: inedible.
Habitat: gregarious, clustered or caespitose, under many different conifers. Widely distributed; summer-fall.
Biochemistry
Medicinal properties
Antitumor effects
Polysaccharides extracted from the mycelial culture of C. ligula and administered intraperitoneally into white mice at a dosage of 300 mg/kg inhibited the growth of Sarcoma 180 and Ehrlich solid cancers by 60% (Ohtsuka et al., 1973).
The Truth About Medicinal Mushrooms
Medicinal Mushrooms are great. One of the few supplements I feel confident taking that actually has benefits. Most of the supplement industry is selling you on placebo, but I don't feel that's the case with medicinal mushrooms. HOWEVER; a large portion of the Mushroom Industry is corrupt. Come read this article if you want to find out the Dirty Secret in the Mushroom Industry and how to choose an Authentic Mushroom Supplement.
References
Ohtsuka S, Ueno S, Yoshikumi C, Hirose F, Ohmura Y, Wada T, Fujii T, Takahashi E.
Polysaccharides having an anticarcinogenic effect and a method of producing them from species of Basidiomycetes.
UK Patent 1331513, 26 September 1973.