Taiwanofungus camphoratus
Taiwanofungus camphoratus, also known as stout camphor fungus, is a species of fungus that is endemic to Taiwan, where it grows only on the endemic aromatic tree Cinnamomum kanehirae, causing a brown heart rot.

Traditional medicine 
It is used in Taiwanese traditional medicine as a purported remedy for cancer, hypertension, and hangover.  The annual market is worth over $100 million (US) in Taiwan alone. The 32.15 Mb genome containing 9,254 genes has been sequenced.

Taiwanofungus camphoratus has been found to produce anti-obesogenic, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic effects in high-fat diet-fed mice.

Chemical constituents
Antcin B, antrodioxolanone, antrocamphin B, antroquinonol, antrocamphins, zhankuic acids, and other antcins have been reported as constituents of Taiwanofungus camphoratus.

Ecological concern
Because of its use as an herbal remedy, fruiting bodies of the fungus can fetch high prices. Good quality fruiting bodies were reported to cost as much as US$15,000/kg in 1997, before artificial cultivation methods were developed. Some have illegally farmed the fungus in the forests of Taiwan by hollowing out endangered stout camphor trees (Cinnamomum kanehirae).  This is despite the equal potency of T. camphotatus grown in a laboratory.

References

Further reading
Chang, Tun-Tschu, and Wang, Wu-Rong. "Basidiomatal formation of Antrodia cinnamomea on artificial agar media." Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica 46 (2005).

Chang, Tun-Tschu, and Wen-Neng Chou. "Antrodia cinnamomea reconsidered and A. salmonea sp. nov. on Cunninghamia konishii in Taiwan." Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica 45 (2004).

External links

Fungi described in 1990
Fungi of Taiwan
Fungal tree pathogens and diseases
Polyporales
Fungus species