Lion's mane Mushroom (Hericium erinaceus)

by Spore Spot October 02, 2019

Lion's Mane Mushroom

In our books Lions mane is 1 of the big 5, even though it's got nothing to do with an actual lion (One of South Africa's big 5), other than a vague resemblance (see below).

Lion head

(See the similarity in long strands between the friendly fungi and the man eating beast)

From what we've seen out there, there is a lot of talk on why we should be using Hericium erinaceus (Lions mane) as a supplement. Much of the science has been based on animal testing (which holds it's own flavor of bitter), and very little results have been successfully published on human tests. While we aren't a team of highly trained pharmacologists or doctors, we are a little excited about healthy living. The only thing we have definitively been able to prove, is that Lions Mane is tasty.

Here's what Wiki will tell you:

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Basidiomycota
Class:	Agaricomycetes
Order:	Russulales
Family:	Hericiaceae
Genus:	Hericium
Species:	H. erinaceus

Mycological characteristics

Teeth on hymenium

No distinct cap

Lacks a stipe

Spore print is white

Ecology is parasitic

Edibility: choice

Other names for Hericium erinaceus:

Lion's mane mushroom,

Monkey head mushroom,

Bearded tooth mushroom,

Satyr's beard,

Bearded hedgehog mushroom,

Pom pom mushroom,

Bearded tooth fungus.

Native to North America, Europe and Asia it can be identified by its long spines (greater than 1 cm length), its appearance on hardwoods and it has a tendency to grow a single clump of dangling spines. Hericium erinaceus can be mistaken for other species of Hericium, all popular edibles, which grow across the same range. In the wild, these mushrooms are common during late summer and fall on hardwoods, particularly American beech.