Kingdom Fungi Class Lecanoromycetes Family Umbilicariaceae Scientific name Umbilicaria esculenta | Division Ascomycota Order Lecanorales Genus Umbilicaria Rank Species | |
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Similar Rock tripe, Jew's ear, Sarcodon imbricatus, Cetraria, Usnea | ||
Umbilicaria esculenta is a lichen of the genus Umbilicaria that grows on rocks, also known as Rock tripe. It can be found in East Asia including in China, Japan, and Korea. It is edible when properly prepared and has been used as a food source and medicine. It is called iwatake (kanji: 岩茸 or 石茸) in Japanese and seogi (hangul: 석이; hanja: 石耳; literally "stone ear" or "rock ear") or seogi beoseot (hangul: 석이버섯; literally "stone ear mushroom") in Korean. The species name is based on the earlier basionym Gyrophora esculenta.
In vitro antiviral activity
Polysaccharides from the lichen have been shown to inhibit replication of the HIV virus in laboratory tests.
References
Umbilicaria esculenta Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA