A farmer in China is hoping to sell a rare mushroom so that her son could afford to find a wife.

The woman, from the village of Xianghe, said her son, named Xiao Li, found the 176-pound giant mushroom a few days ago in a pond, reported People's Daily Online.

The family have shown the media their treasured fungus, known as Tai Sui, which is considered to be the medicine for immortality in traditional Chinese medicine.

Prized find: Xiao Li, from China's Xianghe village, found a rare huge mushroom (pictured) while catching fish

High medical value: The mushroom, known as Tai Sui, is considered to be the medicine for immortality in China

According to the report, Xiao Li picked up the priced fungus while catching fish in a pond near his house.

He said at first he didn't know what it was.

Li said: 'I touched a soft lump. At first I startled, then I examined further and realised it was massive.'

He and his father transported the mysterious object home with a tricycle.

Li then added: 'I looked up online and realised it is Tai Sui and it has medical value.'

The family now hope experts could help them value the fungus which they keep in their warehouse.

Li's mother is especially glad about the prized find.

She told Chinese media that she expected the mushroom to bring the family a handsome profit.

She added that her son is still single, so she hoped the money could help him to afford a wife.

Ambitious seller: The family are hoping to sell the valuable medicinal food and they expect a handsome profit

Big in size: After weighing the object, Li found out that his mushroom is more than 80 kilograms (176 pounds)

A wife instead of a mushroom? Li's mother hopes the money could help her son find a good partner

According to Chinese news site QQ, Tai Sui has multiple layers, ranging from a tough, yellow exterior to a delicate, pale cream interior.

The delicate interior is considered the most prized part and commands the highest prices.

Experts believe the growth is a rare combination of bacterial, molds and fungus, which normally grows on decaying wood.

Although variations of the mushroom has been used for medicinal purposes in China and Japan for more than two millennia, it's promise of longevity has never been officially proven.

However, some active compounds isolated from the mushroom were shown to have anti-cancer properties in human trials according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

What's more, the legends that surround the mushroom's magical powers, which are supposed to help people live forever without getting old, means that it continues to be in demand today.