RT Journal Article ID 1d857752072fdf39 A1 Venturella, Giuseppe A1 Zervakis, Georgios I. A1 Polemis, Elias A1 Gargano, Maria Letizia T1 Taxonomic Identity, Geographic Distribution, and Commercial Exploitation of the Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis (Basidiomycetes) JF International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms JO IJM YR 2016 FD 2016-03-09 VO 18 IS 1 SP 59 OP 65 K1 medicinal and edible mushrooms K1 fungal taxonomy K1 medicinal use K1 Umbellifers K1 Pleurotus nebrodensis AB An updated overview of the outcome of studies conducted on the culinary-medicinal mushroom Pleurotus nebrodensis is presented by placing emphasis on the clarification of the taxonomic identity of P. nebrodensis and other related taxa possessing entirely white to cream basidiomes, which grow in association with different plants of the family Apiaceae. Cultivation techniques, quality of the product sold and sales price, as well as nutritional and medicinal aspects are discussed. Taking also into consideration the high economic importance of P. nebrodensis, it is essential to proceed with the verification of the commercial strains currently available in the international market under the name of "P. nebrodensis" since it is very probable that many (or most) of them do not represent the real P. nebrodensis. TO confirm this hypothesis, an in silico analysis was conducted on a large of number of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA sequences deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database under the name P. nebrodensis. Results demonstrated that all "P nebrodensis" material examined from China (plus several sequences of no reported origin) corresponded to P. eryngii subsp. tuoliensis, with only 2 exceptions, which were grouped within P. eryngii sensu stricto. The real P. nebrodensis biological material from Italy and Greece is certified and is available upon request by the authors at the University of Palermo and the Agricultural University of Athens. PB Begell House LK https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/708ae68d64b17c52,33df00905b660ea5,1d857752072fdf39.html