Elaphomyces granulatus is a truffle-like, hypogeous fungus of the Elaphomyces genus. It is widespread, occurring in North America, Europe, northern Asia, and Chile.
Description The fruiting body grows beneath the ground and is approximately round-ish or kidney-shaped.The peridium is an ochre color and is covered with small, pointy bumps; the inside is white. Its spores are spiny or warty, and difficult to distinguish from the spores of related fungi such as E. asperulus.
Uses In traditional medicine in Mexico, it is used as a galactagogue and to reduce bleeding.Guzmán G. Diversity and Use of Traditional Mexican Medicinal Fungi. A Review. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. 2008;10(3):209-17. It also has ritual uses connected to the ingestion of Psilocybe mushrooms and Tolypocladium ophioglossoides, in which E. granulatus is called "el gran mundo" (the great world), Psilocybe spp. is called "mujercita" (little woman), and T. ophioglosoides is called "hombrecito" (little man).
In English medicine, it was used prior to the 19th century as a galactagogue and a medication against stroke. In folk medicine it was also used as an aphrodisiac.
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