In 1997, world production of cultivated mushrooms was estimated to be 6,160.80 × 103 tons. Overall, world mushroom production increased more than 12% annually from 1981 to 1997. However, production of Agaricus mushrooms decreased in the percentage of world total production from 71.6% in 1981 to 31.8% in 1997, even though the actual production of the mushroom increased from 900.0 × 103 tons in 1981 to 1,955.9 × 103 tons in 1997, an increase of 2.2 times. The reason is that other mushrooms gradually became popular, particularly Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Sing., which increased both in percentage of world production, from 14.3% to 25.2%, and in output, from 180.0 × 103 tons to 1,564.6 × 103 tons, and Pleurotus, from 2.8% to 14.2% and from 35.0 × 103 tons to 875.6 × 103 tons, respectively. More than 10 new species of mushrooms have been cultivated in recent years on a small commercial scale, but have great potential for expanding. China has become an enormous producer and consumer of cultivated edible mushrooms and also a major producer of medicinal mushrooms. Total production in China in 1997 was 3,918.3 × 103 tons, which amounted to 63.6% of the total world output. L. edodes is a leading cultivated mushroom in China. Its production was 1,397.0 × 103 tons in 1997, which is equal to 35.6% of the total national mushroom production. The successful cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fr.: Fr.) Quel. (= P sajorcaju) on water hyacinth and L. edodes on coffee wastes no doubt will enhance mushroom production in Africa and Latin America, where these two kinds of lingnocellulosic biomass wastes are available in huge quantities.