Ganoderma lucidum

Ganoderma lucidum is a fungus from the Ganodermataceae family. It is probably found all over the world, but mainly in Mediterranean and temperate zones. In Europe, the fungus can be found as far south as Scandinavia. In Germany, the shiny lacquer mushroom is irregularly scattered everywhere.

The shiny lacquer mushroom is a coarse mushroom with a cap about five to 20 centimetres high, which sits on a (usually) lateral stalk. The annual fruiting bodies are found on tree stumps, roots or at the base of the trunk of living host trees. The cap of the fruiting body is about one to three centimetres thick and covered with a yellowish, later reddish (to reddish-brown or reddish-black) darkening resin layer. The edge of the mushroom is white, the underside consists of a whitish layer of pores, with about four to five pores per millimeter. The distinct stalk (sometimes only formed as a stalk-shaped base) is reddish-brown to almost black and shimmers purple.

Differentiation from Reishi or Lingzhi mushrooms: The species Ganoderma lucidum is often equated with the medicinal mushroom Reishi or Lingzhi known from TCM. However, the latest studies have shown that the traditional medicinal mushroom is a different, related species. The shiny polypore is not an edible mushroom and is insignificant as a wood pest.

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