Table 1.

Major medicinal mushrooms and their main distributions.

MM Species	Common Name	Taxonomy	Geographic/Ecological Distribution
Agrocybe aegerita	Black Poplar mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Bolbitiaceae	North temperate and subtropical zone
Agaricus bisporus	Button mushroom, Portobello mushroom, Common mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Agaricaceae	USA, China, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Belgium, Indonesia, Hungary and Mexico
Agaricus blazei (syn. Agaricus brasiliensis)	Royal Sun Agaricus, Almond Portobello	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Agaricaceae	America, Brasil, Japan, China
Amanita phalloides	Death Cap	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Amanitaceae	Europe, North American, Asia
Boletus edulis	Cep, Porcini, Penny Bun Bolete	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Boletales Boletaceae	China, Italy, France, Swiss, Germany
Boletus speciosus	Red-Capped Butter Bolete	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Boletales Boletaceae	Eastern North America, Southwest of China and Europe
Chroogomphus rutilus	Copper Spike	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Boletales Gomphidiaceae	China
Clitocybe nebularis	Clouded Funnel	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Tricholomataceae	China, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, North America, North Africa
Cryptoporus volvatus	Veiled Polypore	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Trunks of pine, fir and spruce
Dichomitus squalens	Common White-Rot fungus	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Trunks of conifers such as pine and larch
Flammulina velutipes	Golden Needle mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Physalacriaceae	Subtropical zone such as Japan, Russia, Australia and other countries as well as Europe, North America
Floccularia luteovirens (syn. Armillaria luteovirens)	Scaly Yellow mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Tricholomataceae	Meadow at altitudes of 3000–4000 m above sea level
Ganoderma atrum	Black Ling-zhi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Tropical regions
Ganoderma capense	Dark Ling-zhi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Tropical regions
Ganoderma japonicum	Bloody Ling-zhi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Majority in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, Africa and America, minority in temperate zone
Ganoderma lucidum	Reitake, Ling-zhi, Spirit Plant Reishi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Majority in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, Africa and America, minority in temperate zone
Ganoderma microsporum	Small-Spored Ling-zhi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Subtropics zone
Ganoderma lingzhi	Ling-zhi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	China, North Korea, Japan
Ganoderma sinensis	Zi-zhi	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	China, North Korea, Japan
Ganoderma tsugae	Hemlock Varnish Shelf	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Northern and Montaine zone
Grifola frondosa	Maitake Hen of the Woods	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Grifolaceae	Japan, China
Hericium erinaceus	Lion’s Mane mushroom, Bearded Tooth mushroom, Monkey-Head mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Russulales Hericiaceae	Broad-leaved forest or coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in northern temperate zone such as Western Europe, North America, China, Japan, Russia
Inonotus obliquus	Clinker Polypore, Birch Conk, Chaga	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Hymenochaetacles Hymenochaetaceae	Russia, China
Lentinula edodes	Shiitake, Black Forest mushroom, Golden Oak mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Omphalotaceae	Distributed in an arc area on the west side of the Pacific Ocean, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, the Mediterranean coast and northern Africa
Lignosus rhinocerotis	Tiger Milk mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	China, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and rainforests of East Africa
Leucocalocybe mongolica (syn. Tricholoma mongolicum)	Mongolia mushroom	Basidiomycota Basidiomycetes Agaricales Agaricales incertae sedis	Inner Mongolia in China
Marasmius oreades	Fairy Ring mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Marasmiaceae	North America and Asia
Morchella esculenta	Common Morel, Yellow Morel, Sponge Morel	Ascomycota Pezizomycetes Pezizales Morohellaceae	Widely cultured over the world such as France, Germany, America, India, China, Russia, Sweden, Mexico, Spain, Czechoslovakia and Pakistan
Morchella conica	Black Morel, Sponge mushroom	Ascomycota Pezizomycetes Pezizales Morohellaceae	Distributed under broad-leaved forest, coniferous broad-leaved mixed forest, forest edge open space and weeds
Naematelia aurantialba (syn. Tremella aurantialba)	Golden Tremella	Basidiomycota Tremellomycetes Tremellales Naemateliaceae	Mountain forest of quercus, mutualism with Stereum spp.
Ophiocordyceps sinensis	Caterpillar fungus, Himalaya Viagra	Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Hypocreales Ophiocordycipitaceae	Southwest China, Nepal
Pholiota adiposa	Chestnut mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Strophariaceae	Distributed on the dead willows in the forest in China
Pleurotus citrinopileatus	Golden Oyster mushroom, Tamogitake	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Pleurotaceae	Widely cultured all over the world
Pleurotus ostreatus	Oyster mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Pleurotaceae	Widely cultured all over the world
Cerioporus squamosus (syn. Polyporus squamosus)	Dryad’s Saddle, Pheasant’s Back mushroom	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Widely distributed in hardwood forest of North America, Australia, Asia and Europe
Poria cocos	Fuling, China Root	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Laetiporaceae	Parasitic on the roots of Pinaceae plants, mainly distributed in China
Rhodonia placenta (syn. Postia placenta)	Rosy Crust	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Dacryobolaceae	Widely distributed all over the world
Pseudosperma umbrinellum (syn. Inocybe umbrinella)	Fibrous Hat	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Inocybaceae	France
Russula delica	Milk-White Brittlegill	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Russulales Russulaceae	Taiga forest and mixed forests
Russula lepida	Rosy Russula	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Russulales Russulaceae	Widely distributed all over the world
Sarcodon aspratus	Black Tiger Paw	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Thelephorales Thelephoraceae	Southwest of China
Schizophyllum commune	Split Gill	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Schizophyllaceae	Widely distributed all over the world
Stropharia rugosoannulata	Wine Cap Stropharia, Garden Giant, Burgundy mushroom, King Stropharia	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Strophariaceae	Europe, North America, Asia
Taiwanofungus camphoratus (syn. Antrodia camphorate)	Poroid Brown-rot fungus, Stout Camphor fungus	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales incertae sedis	Mountain forest in Taiwan with altitudes of 450–2000 m
Trametes versicolor (syn. Polystictus versicolor)	Turkey Tail fungus	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Polyporales Polyporaceae	Global distribution; Broad-leaf woods
Tropicoporus linteus (syn. Phelllinus linteus)	Mesima, Black Hoof fungus	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Hymenochaetales Hymenochaetaceae	Distributed on the dead trees and trunks in China
Xerocomellus chrysenteron (syn. Xerocomus Chrysenteron)	Red Cracking Bolete	Basidiomycota Agaricomycetes Agaricales Agaricales incertae sedis	China
Xylaria hypoxylon	Candlestick fungus, Candlesnuff fungus, Carbon Antlers, Stag’s Horn fungus	Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Xylariales Xylariaceae	Northern Europe
Xylaria nigripes	Dead Moll’s Fingers	Ascomycota Sordariomycetes Xylariales Xylariaceae	China, mutualism with white ant
Volvariella volvacea	Straw mushroom	Basidiomycota Basidiomycetes Agaricales Pluteaceae	China, East Asia, Southeast Asia