Dictyophora bambusae

Dictyophora bambusae

　　Dictyophora bambusae

　　Also known as bamboo fungus or bamboo mushroom, Dictyophora bambusae is a cryptogamic fungus that grows on the roots of dead bamboo. It has a shape somewhat similar to a gas lamp’s glass shade. It boasts a deep green cap and a snow-white, cylindrical stipe.

　　A pink, egg-shaped volva.

　　At the tip of the stipe, there is a fine, pure white, lacy skirt that drapes down from the cap, making the entire fungus look extremely elegant.

　　With its vivid colors and rarity, it is highly prized.

　　It is often referred to as the “flower of fungi” or the “queen of mushrooms.”

　　Dictyophora bambusae is a high-end export agricultural product in China. It’s said that people trade one tael of gold for just one jin of this fungus.

　　For a long time, Dictyophora bambusae has relied on wild growth and can only be found in bamboo forests between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. during autumn. Its scarcity makes it hard to encounter, making it the most precious edible mushroom in the world and extremely valuable.

　　On Danxia Mountain in Renhua County, wild Dictyophora bambusae can often be found.

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　　Legend has it that during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi, in her quest for an elixir of immortality, sent trusted envoys across the land and managed to obtain some “sēng zhú xùn” after great difficulty. The so-called “sēng zhú xùn” refers to the long-skirted Dictyophora. Cixi mobilized 3,000 soldiers and spent nine months to gather just 1.5 kilograms of the fungus—averaging only 0.55 grams per person—illustrating its incredible rarity. The long-skirted Dictyophora is not just precious because of its scarcity. It also has high nutritional value, containing abundant protein and fat, along with seventeen types of amino acids and various vitamins. It not only nourishes the body but also shows good therapeutic effects for multiple tumors, hypertension, and obesity. With its extraordinarily delicious taste, the long-skirted Dictyophora enjoys a high reputation on the international market, once earning the nickname “bamboo fungus at the price of gold.” Former U.S. President Nixon and former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka both tasted “Bamboo Fungus Lotus Soup” during their visits to China and spoke highly of it.