Phallus cremeo-ochraceus

Overview

Phallus cremeo-ochraceus is a stinkhorn, a fungus of the family Phallaceae that grows from buried eggs and emerges as a stalked, foul-smelling fruiting body. The dried product sold as bamboo fungus in Chinese food markets comes from several stinkhorn species, and the catalogue treats this name as one of them.

Dried stinkhorn is valued as a delicate, crisp food that takes up the flavours of the broth or dish it is cooked in.

Names and identity

Phallus indusiatus is the species most often named in Chinese bamboo-fungus products, under the Chinese name zhusun. Its synonym Dictyophora indusiata is still used in some records. The catalogue records that Chinese products labelled P. indusiatus belong to several distinct species and that the strain or product should be identified.

The catalogue lists a misapplied search alias, P. indusiatus as used for some Chinese products. The name for this record is a research name, and the sources reviewed do not confirm its authority or its distinction from other Chinese bamboo fungi.

Preparation and use

Dried bamboo fungus is rehydrated before use. The Italian review of P. indusiatus describes soaking or simmering in water until the fungus softens, and notes that it is also eaten fresh. One source says it is sought after in Chinese cuisine.

These preparation facts come from the related species. The sources reviewed do not give a preparation specific to P. cremeo-ochraceus, and none should be assumed for it without a source.

Ecology and history

Stinkhorns are saprotrophs that feed on plant litter and soil. The catalogue records the ecology as plant-litter and soil saprotroph, and a regional cultivation context. The 2022 review records a history of use in Chinese medicine for P. indusiatus going back to the 7th century AD, but that dating does not apply to this name without a source.

Safety and identification

The catalogue states that Chinese bamboo-fungus products labelled P. indusiatus belong to several distinct species, so a safety or quality claim made for one product may not hold for another. The record is a food and market record, not a toxicological assessment.

This page does not identify a specimen and gives no edibility verdict. Any fresh specimen should be checked by an expert before it is eaten. The dried product should be bought from a source that names the species.

Open points

The sources reviewed do not confirm this species as distinct from other Chinese bamboo fungi, and do not give a species-level preparation, nutritional or safety assessment. The supplied Chinese and Mycosphere sources need to be read in full before this page is extended.