An herb entry from the Ancient Herbs and Modern Herbs book by James K. Sayre, Copyright, 2001. All rights reserved.

Mushroom, Shiitake - Lentinula edodes (Lentinus edodus) - family: Agaricaceae, order: Auriculariales, class: Homobasidiomycetes.

This is a dark edible and medicinal mushroom. It is often cultivated on logs of the Beech or the Oak family. It has been cultivated for thousands of years in Japan. It has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Japanese medicine as a remedy for anemia, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Modern Japanese (Kampo) use of fruiting body in the medical treatment of some cancers. Modern American folk use as a remedy for cold sores, diabetes-related infections, genital herpes, liver problems, macular degeneration and for immune system support. Modern American folk use in the possible prevention of cancer. Native to China and Japan in East Asia. Cultivated as an edible and medicinal mushroom in eastern Asia and North America.

End.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please feel free to Email the author at sayresayre@yahoo;com. sayresayre@yahoo.com

This web page was recently created by James Sayre.

Contact author James K. Sayre at sayresayre@yahoo.com. Author's Email: sayresayre@yahoo.com

Copyright 2003 by Bottlebrush Press. All Rights Reserved.

Web page last updated on 22 May 2003.