Detailed Explanation of Key Points in Industrialized Shiitake Mushroom Production Technology

Shiitake mushrooms consist of two parts: the mycelium and the fruiting body. The mycelium develops from germinating spores; it is white and downy, with septa and branches, 2 to 4 nanometers thick. The hyphae combine with one another, growing and multiplying continuously, gathering into a mycelium that appears cobweb-like. The mycelium is the vegetative organ of the shiitake mushroom, equivalent to the roots, stems and leaves of higher plants. Any part of the shiitake mushroom's tissue is composed of hyphae, and under suitable conditions all of it can sprout new hyphae, which grow continuously and gradually develop and differentiate into fruiting bodies (shiitake mushrooms).

The shiitake fruiting body consists of three parts: the cap, the gills and the stem. The cap is semi-fleshy, 3 to 15 cm in diameter, flatly hemispherical at first and later gradually flattening out, yellow-brown to deep cinnamon in color, with scales on the surface. The flesh is thick and white; the gills are white, dense and adnexed. The stem is central to off-center, white, solid inside, often curved, 3 to 5 cm long and 0.5 to 0.8 cm in diameter; the part below the ring is often covered with scales, and the ring is narrow and easily lost. The spores are colorless, smooth and oval.