猴頭產于河南盧氏、欒川、嵩縣、西峽、鎮平、內鄉等縣的深山區。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、發育期中，體內多為營養體和繁殖體兩部分。營養體又叫菌絲體、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、治療神經衰弱。經過深層發酵的培養物經分離提取所得，主要成分為多糖、氨基酸等，是猴菇菌片、復方胃寧片等制劑的原料。廣泛應用于醫藥領域。
      
    猴頭菌營養價值極高，其營養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、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，產量和商品量均不大，鎮平縣高丘北山中產者較多。魯山縣原四區山中也較多。近幾年，盧氏、欒川等縣試制人工培植“猴頭菌原”成功。隨著培植技術的提高，猴頭生產可望發展。



    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.