Antrodia camphorata, which is equal to Taiwanofungus camphorata, is native to Taiwan. Its fruiting body is a very rare and expensive mushroom that grows slowly in the wild and it is difficult to cultivate in the greenhouse. The fruiting body of A. camphorata has traditionally been used as an herbal medicine in Taiwan and is commonly known by name “jang-jy” or “niu-chang-chih” (Shen C. C. et al., J. Chin. Med. 2003, 14, 247-258).
Naturally, it grows on the inner heartwood wall of Cinnamomun kanehirai Hay (Lauraceae), an endemic and endangered species in Taiwan. The wild-type fruiting body contains fatty acids, lignans, phenyl derivatives, sesquiterpenes, steroids, and triterpenoids (Shen C. C. et al., ut supra). In traditional herbal medicine, A. camphorata fruiting bodies have been utilized as treatment for food and drug intoxications, diarrhea, abnormal pains, hypertension, itchy skin and liver cancer.