Difference in cultivation characteristics and genetic polymorphism between Chinese and Japanese strains of Wolfiporia cocos Ryvarden et Gilbertson (Poria cocos Wolf).

Poria, a dried sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos Ryvarden et Gilbertson (Polyporaceae) has been used as a crude drug in both Chinese and Japanese (Kampo) traditional medicines. Recently, cultivated products of Chinese Poria strains have accounted for most of the market, while the cultivation of Japanese Poria strains has not been successful. Aiming to determine the relationship between the differences in cultivation characteristics and genetic polymorphism, we conducted a field cultivation experiment, a rot test, and rapid amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of Poria strains collected from China and Japan: 3 Chinese and 7 Japanese strains.