Lingzhi (mushroom)

Lingzhi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Polyporales
Family: Ganodermataceae
Genus: Ganoderma
Species:
G. sichuanense
Binomial name
Ganoderma sichuanense
J.D. Zhao & X.Q. Zhang (1983)[1]
Synonyms[2][3]

Ganoderma lingzhi Sheng H. Wu, Y. Cao & Y.C. Dai (2012)

Lingzhi
View the Mycomorphbox template that generates the following list
Pores on hymenium
Cap is offset or indistinct
Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable
Stipe is bare or lacks a stipe
Spore print is brown
Ecology is saprotrophic or parasitic
Edibility is edible, but unpalatable
Lingzhi
Traditional Chinese靈芝
Simplified Chinese灵芝
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinlíngzhī
Wade–Gilesling2-chih1
IPA[lǐŋ.ʈʂɻ̩́]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationlìhngjī
Jyutpingling4zi1
IPA[lɪŋ˩.tsi˥]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJlêng-chi

Lingzhi, Ganoderma sichuanense, also known as reishi or Ganoderma lingzhi[3] is a polypore fungus ("bracket fungus") native to East Asia belonging to the genus Ganoderma.

Its reddish brown, varnished, kidney-shaped cap with bands and peripherally inserted stem give it a distinct fan-like appearance. When fresh, the lingzhi is soft, cork-like, and flat. It lacks gills on its underside, and instead releases its spores via fine pores (80–120 μm) in yellow colors.[2]

In nature, it grows at the base and stumps of deciduous trees, especially maples. Only two or three out of 10,000 such trees will have lingzhi growth, and therefore its wild form is rare.[citation needed] Lingzhi may be cultivated on hardwood logs, sawdust, or woodchips.

The lingzhi mushroom is used in traditional Chinese medicine.[2][4] There is insufficient evidence to indicate that consuming Ganoderma mushrooms in any form has any effect on human health or diseases.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Zhao 1983 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cao, Yun; Wu, Sheng-Hua; Dai, Yu-Cheng (2012). "Species clarification of the prize medicinal Ganoderma mushroom 'Lingzhi'". Fungal Diversity. 56 (1): 49–62. doi:10.1007/s13225-012-0178-5. S2CID 15239238.
  3. ^ a b Du, Zhuo; Li, Yi; Wang, Xin-Cun; Wang, Ke; Yao, Yi-Jian (2023). "Re-Examination of the Holotype of Ganoderma sichuanense (Ganodermataceae, Polyporales) and a Clarification of the Identity of Chinese Cultivated Lingzhi". Journal of Fungi. 9 (3): 323. doi:10.3390/jof9030323. ISSN 2309-608X. PMC 10051598. PMID 36983491.
  4. ^ Kenneth, Jones (1990). Reishi: Ancient Herb for Modern Times. Sylvan Press. p. 6.
  5. ^ "Reishi mushroom". Drugs.com. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  6. ^ Jin, Xingzhong; Ruiz Beguerie, Julieta; Sze, Daniel Man-yuen; Chan, Godfrey C.F. (2015). "Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 4 (4): CD007731. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3. PMC 6353236. PMID 27045603.
  7. ^ Klupp, Nerida L.; Chang, Dennis; Hawke, Fiona; Kiat, Hosen; Cao, Huijuan; Grant, Suzanne J.; Bensoussan, Alan (2015). "Ganoderma lucidum mushroom for the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021 (2): CD007259. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007259.pub2. PMC 6486141. PMID 25686270.