lion's mane

noun

variants or lion's mane mushroom

plural lion's manes or lion's mane mushrooms

: an edible mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) of North America and Eurasia that forms a large globular white or pale yellow fruiting body (as on the trunks of hardwood trees) covered in a mass of dangling spore-producing processes

Lion's manes are large mushrooms, considered gourmet ingredients with a texture and flavor often described as being similar to lobster or crab.

—Chris Chamberlain

Lion's mane mushrooms, which have long been used in ancient medicine, have been found to boost brain cell growth and memory in pre-clinical trials.

—Sarah Sellens

Halfway up a nearby oak, a bulbous … Hericium erinaceus, or lion's mane, cascaded from the hole made by a woodpecker.

—Doug Bierend

Word History

Etymology

so called from the hairlike appearance of the mature fruiting body

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

lion's mane

noun

ˈlī-ənz- 

variants or lion's mane mushroom

: an edible mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) of North America and Eurasia that forms a large globular white or pale yellow fruiting body (as on the trunks of hardwood trees) covered in a mass of dangling spore-producing processes

Hericium erinaceus is a medicinal-culinary mushroom widely found in East Asian countries and is commonly known as lion's mane mushroom. … It has great potential in treating neurological disorders as it contains neurotrophic compounds that can pass through the blood–brain barrier.

—Pit Shan Chong et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences