Ganoderma lucidum / LING ZHI / Reishi Mushroom

Botanical Name – Ganoderma lucidum

Chinese Name – LING ZHI

English Name – Reishi Mushroom

The Reishi Mushroom is a polypore mushroom belonging to the genus Ganoderma. Its red-varnished, kidney-shaped cap gives it a distinct appearance. When fresh, the Reishi Mushroom is soft, cork-like, and flat. It lacks gills on its underside, and instead releases its spores via fine pores. Depending on the age of the mushroom, the pores on its underside may be white or brown.

LING ZHI mushroom is used in traditional Chinese medicine. In nature, it grows at the base and stumps of deciduous trees, especially that of the maple. Only two or three out of 10,000 such aged trees will have LING ZHI Mushroom growth, and therefore its wild form is extremely rare. Today, it is effectively cultivated on hardwood logs or sawdust/woodchips.