Sparassis crispa (Cauliflower Mushroom)

One very exciting fungi to find in Scottish conifer forests is the unusually looking Sparassis crispa whose appearance is strongly reminiscent of a cauliflower. The fungus grows on the roots of conifers -especially pine- where it fruits at the base of trees or trunks, often recurring year after year. Its parasitic life style causes brown rot, however

S. crispa is only a weak parasite, not causing major harm to the tree, which provides all the essential nutrients the fungus need to grow.

This a-typical looking fungus possesses lobe-like structures that are reminiscent of brain or cauliflower. The texture is firm and rather crisp which might be surprising as just by looking at the fungus one would expect a softer, sponge-like structure. The globular, white to cream fruit bodies are often 15-20 cm in diameter but can reach enormous sizes of up to 75 cm. However, it is quite unusual to spot really large ones as they are widely enjoyed by deer and squirrels. The short stem is the same colour as the fruit body. The name ‘crispa’ refers to ‘waved’ or ‘curled’, which nicely describes the edges of the lobes of the fungus.

The Cauliflower fungus is a great beginners fungus. The unusual appearance make it easy to identify and its nutty-like flavour make it a good edible species. One man’s joy is the other man’s sorrow- although easy identifiable due to its distinct structure- pine needles, slugs, sand grid and insects readily collect in the fruit body which makes it tedious work to clean before consumption. Still, the effort is worth it as even one fruit body -best picked when young and white- is big enough for a whole meal and tastes delicious, especially in soup. Records show that the fungus is cultivated in Japan for both culinary value and medicinal purpose.

Medicinal use: Studies have found that S. crispa has a variety of medical properties and has been shown to have anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-tumour features. It is mainly used for skin repair, immune support and stroke prevention. Supplements of the fungus have been shown to increase wound healing in diabetic rats. Its anti-tumour properties have been used in fighting Sarcoma 180- a tumour that occurs in mice. Other studies done in mice indicated that S. crispa contains a haemoglobin raising substance that helps the body to raise its haemoglobin level and to stimulate the immune system.

Look-a-likes: Sparassis spathulata is a very similar looking fungus which occurs very rarely in Britain and Ireland. It is more commonly associated with oak and beach and just occasionally with pine. Fortunately a good edible, however due to its rare occurrence considered inappropriate to gather for eating.

Season

Sparassis crispa can be found from July until October.

Habitat

The fungus grows on the base and trunks of conifer trees, especially pine. It occurs more commonly on forest edges and woodland tracks and rarely occurs in dark forests.

Distribution

The species is known to be fairly common in Britain and Ireland. It occurs in Europe and North America and is known to be cultivated in Japan.

Please remember to submit your records to your local recording group or via the Scottish Fungi online recording form.

Photos by Peggy Ehrlich

By Peggy Ehrlich and Andy Taylor, July 2016

Sparassis crispa

Sparassis crispa distribution map

The National Biodiversity Network Gateway records from FRDBI andHBRG datasets are shown on the above map but note that as of May 2015 the FRDBI has not been updated on the gateway since 2007. More recent records from other sources may be available via the Gateway (see terms and conditions at http://data.nbn.org.uk). Data providers and the NBN Trust bear no responsibility for any further analysis or interpretation of the information in the map.

Note also that additional records may be available on the Association of British Fungus Groups CATE2 database, but these are not available via the NBN Gateway.