ABSTRACT
One of the common names for Dictyophora is “bamboo sprouts,” a name derived from the fact that the mushroom can be found in nature pushing up through the soil in bamboo thickets where it grows on the residue and humus of the bamboo plants. Those with an overriding appreciation for the great beauty of the mushroom may prefer to call it the “flower of the fungi” or the “veiled lady mushroom.” Those not so aesthetically inclined may disagree because of the odor that emanates from the spore mass of the fruiting body, which is so attractive to insects, and these people may note that it is a relative of the “stinkhorn,” Phallus impudicus. Persons recognizing the high price that its dried fruiting bodies bring in the marketplace because of its great gastronomic appeal may call it the “king of the dried foods.” In China, where it has long been esteemed and where it has been cultivated in synthetic composts since 1979, the name Zhu Sun indicates a preference for the Chinese version of the English common name bamboo sprouts.
