Identification & Quality Standard
Poria
Botanical Origin
The dried sclerotium of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Polyporaceae)
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is heavy and firm, outer skin is brown with thin wrinkles, without cracks, fractured surface is white and smooth, very sticky to teeth.
Macroscopic Features
Sclerotium is an irregular lump, spherical, flat, elliptical or long oval shaped, uneven sized, small one is similar to a fist, larger one has diameter about 20~30cm, or even larger. Externally grayish-brown or black-brown, tumor-like wrinkles, inside is white and slightly pink, composed of numerous mycelia threads. Sporocarp is umbrella-like, 0.5~2mm. Edge has small teeth. Gamobium is not easy to see, but is cell-like and often is found in the outer skin of the sclerotium; white at early stage, then gradually turn into brown in polygon shape; basidium is bat-like, spore is oval to cylindrical and slightly curved, with one pointy end, smooth and colorless. Distinctive odor.
