猴頭產(chǎn)于河南盧氏、欒川、嵩縣、西峽、鎮(zhèn)平、內(nèi)鄉(xiāng)等縣的深山區(qū)。多屬野生，品種較多，有的塊狀無柄，也有的呈橢圓形有柄分叉。
        
    猴頭是一種大型真菌植物，屬擔(dān)子菌綱，多孔目，齒菌科，猴頭屬。猴頭多寄生在樺樹樹干上，常成對生長。
        
    野生猴頭多生育深山密林，潮濕溫和，空氣流通之處。在成長、發(fā)育期中，體內(nèi)多為營養(yǎng)體和繁殖體兩部分。營養(yǎng)體又叫菌絲體、菌絲白色呈念珠狀，其功能是從寄主中吸收水分和養(yǎng)分。漲到一定時期，才在寄主體上生出繁殖體，這是食用部分，稱子實體。
猴頭菌是一種藥食兩用的真菌，性平，味甘，利五臟，助消化，滋補，抗癌、治療神經(jīng)衰弱。經(jīng)過深層發(fā)酵的培養(yǎng)物經(jīng)分離提取所得，主要成分為多糖、氨基酸等，是猴菇菌片、復(fù)方胃寧片等制劑的原料。廣泛應(yīng)用于醫(yī)藥領(lǐng)域。
      
    猴頭菌營養(yǎng)價值極高，其營養(yǎng)體和繁殖體中含有多種肽、多種糖類，多種維生素等，它有修復(fù)、增強細胞活力，抗菌，延年益壽的功效。
       
    河南猴頭原以野生為主，產(chǎn)量和商品量均不大，鎮(zhèn)平縣高丘北山中產(chǎn)者較多。魯山縣原四區(qū)山中也較多。近幾年，盧氏、欒川等縣試制人工培植“猴頭菌原”成功。隨著培植技術(shù)的提高，猴頭生產(chǎn)可望發(fā)展。



    Hefgehog hydnumes are mostly produced in deep mountain regions in Lushi, Luanchuan, Songxian, Xixia and other counties. Most of them are wild and in various varieties. Hefgehog hydnum is a large fungus plant which belongs to Basidiomycotina, Polyporales, Hydnaceae and   Hericium. They always grow on tree trunks of birches in pairs in moderate, moist and circulated forest. It is a fungus used to make food as well as medicines, which can benefit the five internal organs, help digest, nourish bodies, prevent cancers, help cure neurasthenia, etc. Thus, it contains extremely high nutritious values. In recent years, Lushi, Luanchuan and other counties have cultivated hefgehog hydnumes artificially successfully which make a great contribution to its development and enlarging yield.