Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is known as Lingzhi in Chinese, Reishi in Japanese and yeongji in Korean. The word of Lingzhi means 'Herbs of spiritual potency' and 'Mushroom of immortality'. It has great health benefits and apparent absence of side-effects.
Ganoderma lucidum grows in both tropical and temperate regions of the world, including North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It grows as a parasite or saprotroph on a variety of trees, mostly at the base and stumps of deciduous trees, especially maple. Lingzhi is generally rare in wild forms, and today, it is effectively cultivated both indoors (under sterile conditions) and outdoors (either on logs or woodchip beds).
Ganoderma lucidum generally occurs in two growth forms, one is sessile and rather large with only a small or no stalk, while the other is smaller and has a long, narrow stalk, and is found mainly in the tropics. Many growth forms exist are intermediate to the two types.
Ganoderma lucidum is a polypore mushroom that is soft when fresh, corky and flat, with a red-varnished, kidney-shaped, offset or indistinct cap. Underneath the cap are pores that is white to dull-brown, depending on age. Ganoderma lucidum has a bitter taste, its energy neutral and no toxicity.
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