This species classified as precious and rare because of its uniqueness of the growth habit where distance between one fruit body to another is not less than 5 km. Unlike most other type of mushrooms, this fungus has unique growth habit in that their growth is solitary, and can find only one fruit body at time. Today, it is known by the scientific name Lignosus rhinocerus.īotanical Description edit Lignosus rhinocerus has a centrally stipulate pileusthat is, a mushroom cap growing at the end of a stipe (stem) arising from a district buried tuber or sclerotium. In the same year, this fungus was scientifically documented by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke who named it as Fomes rhinocerotis based on a specimen found in Penang. He even attempted to cultivate it but failed. In 1890, Sir Henry Nicholas Ridley, the father of Malayas rubber industry, recorded that this fungus was an important medicinal mushroom used by local communities. In his publication, Evelyn also recorded that this fungus was used by the local people to treat diseases for which European doctors found no cure. History edit The tiger milk mushroom was first reported in 1664 when a European government agent was given this product upon sailing to the South East Asian Region.Īccording to The Diary of John Evelyn (Publication dated 22 June 1664), this mushroom was named Lac tygridis, meaning tigers milk. In Malaysia, the tiger milk mushroom is more often known as Cendawan Susu Rimau and is hailed as Malaysias national treasure.Īccording to folklore, the name is based on a story in which the relatively uncommon fungus grows on the spot where a tigress drips her milk while feeding her cubs.

This fungus is geographically distributed only in tropical rainforests in the region of South China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Scindalma rhinocerus (Cooke) Kuntze (1898) Polyporus sacer var. Lignosus rhinocerus Scientific classification Kingdom: Division: Class: Order: Family: Genus: Species: Binomial name Lignosus rhinocerus (Cooke) Ryvarden (1972) Synonyms 1 Polyporus rhinocerus Cooke (1879) Fomes rhinocerus (Cooke) Sacc.

Nguyet lee tsusu family