Lignosus rhinocerus

The tiger milk mushroom was first reported in 1664 when a European government agent was given this product upon sailing to the South East Asian Region. According to The Diary of John Evelyn (Publication dated 22 June 1664), this mushroom was named ‘Lac tygridis’, meaning "tiger’s milk". In his publication, Evelyn also recorded that this fungus was used by the local people to treat diseases for which European doctors found no cure. In 1890, Sir Henry Nicholas Ridley, the father of Malaya’s rubber industry, recorded that this fungus was an important medicinal mushroom used by local communities.[7] He even attempted to cultivate it but failed. In the same year, this fungus was scientifically documented by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke who named it as Fomes rhinocerotis based on a specimen found in Penang.[8] Today, it is known by the scientific name Lignosus rhinocerus.

Lignosus rhinocerus has a centrally stipulate pileus . That's simply a mushroom cap which grows at the end of a stipe (stem) arising from a district buried tuber or sclerotium.[9] Unlike most other type of mushrooms, this fungus has unique growth habit. Their growth is solitary, and can find only one fruit body at a time. This species is classified as precious and rare due to the uniqueness of the solitary growth habit, and the distance between one fruit body and another is not less than 5 km.

Tiger milk mushrooms are said to emerge from the very spot where the milk of a prowling tigeress has spilt on the ground. The underground fungus has tuber/sclerotia, where it will remain for a period of anywhere from a month to decades. The presence of this sclerotium can only be seen when the mushroom sprouts. Medicinal properties of tiger milk mushrooms are only found in underground, in the tuber or sclerotium, but unfortunately once formation of the mushroom's cap and/or stem has happened, it's believed to cause depletion of most of its nutrients.

A 2018 review of the testing of investigations into Lignosus rhinocerotis concluded that "there is a paucity of validation studies including human clinical trials of the mycochemicals of L. rhinocerotis."[10]

Traditionally, the Tiger milk mushrooms have been used for more than 400 years as a health tonic by the aborigines or native for its healing properties on more than 15 types of medical ailments, including; treatment of lung and respiratory diseases (including asthma, cough), fever, vomit, breast cancer, chronic hepatitis, gastric ulcer, food poisoning. It's also believed to help with wound healing and indigestion. Aborigines also boil it with Tongkat ali and used it as general tonic to strengthen the body.[11]

As a result of its unique growth habit, it is difficult to find. The inconsistent supply of raw material and uneven harvest quality, coupled with lack of research, prevents further exploration and study into the possible health potential of the traditional health tonic.

In the past, the mushroom had never been able to enter large-scale commercialization, until Tan Chon Seng, a researcher from MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research & Development Institute) made a breakthrough in 2008 by successfully cultivating tiger milk mushrooms with solid fermentation technology.[16]

• Lignosus rhinocerus in Index Fungorum