Laccocephalum mylittae, commonly known as native bread or blackfellow's bread, is an edible Australian fungus

Fungus

A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...

. The edible hypogeous fruiting body was a popular food item with Aboriginal

Australian Aborigines

Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...

 people.

It was originally described as Polyporus mylittae by Cooke and Massee in 1892, before being placed in the small genus Laccocephalum

Laccocephalum

Laccocephalum is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae.-External links:* at Index Fungorum...

by Núñez and Ryvarden in 1995.

The bumpy whitish cap

Pileus (mycology)

The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...

 has wavy margins and sprouts from an underground stipe

Stipe (mycology)

thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...

. It grows in rainforests and eucalyptus

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...

forest. The stipe is attached to a large underground fruiting body that Aborigines regarded as a delicacy.

External links

• Medicinal Mushrooms Bioactive compounds and medicinal properties