Lingzhi mushroom

Reishi ( Ganoderma lucidum )

The Shining Reishi ( Ganoderma lucidum ) is a mushroom of the family of Lackporlingsverwandten ( Ganodermataceae ).

Description

The Shining Reishi is a mushroom with a rough around five to 20 centimeters tall hat, sitting at a (mostly) side handle. The hat of the fruiting body is about one to three inches thick. The fruiting body is covered with a yellowish, later reddish ( to reddish brown or reddish -black) nachdunkelnden resin layer. This resin layer melts in a match or lighter flame. The edge of the mushroom is white, the bottom consists of a whitish layer pores per millimeter can be found about four to five pores. The significant stem (sometimes formed only as stem-like base ) is reddish brown to almost black and purple shimmer.

Way of life

The Shining Reishi is a holzbewohnender saprophyte or weak parasite colonizing hardwoods especially. As the substrate are mainly oak trees in question, along with other deciduous shrubs, rare conifers ( spruce and pine ). The fungus mainly inhabited heat favored oak or mixed oak forests, beech forests next, riparian hardwood. Outside of these habitats, the Shining Lackporling in hedges, in parks and along roads are found when the corresponding substrate ( oak or beech ) is available there. The one-year fruiting bodies are found on tree stumps, roots, or living at the base of the trunk host trees.

Dissemination

The Shining Lackporling is probably distributed worldwide, but there is uncertainty mainly because of the still unclear demarcation to related forms. In the Holarctic, the species is especially common in Mediterranean and temperate regions, in Europe it comes to southern Scandinavia before. In Germany the Shining Lackporling in the entire area is scattered irregularly distributed.

System

The Shining Lackporling belongs to a complex of closely related taxa of the genus Ganoderma, which differ from each other in part only by the choice of substrate and their taxonomic rank is unclear. In Europe belong to this complex following ways: resinous Reishi ( Ganoderma resinaceum ), Dark Reishi ( Ganoderma carnosum ) and Ganoderma valesiacum (shape from the Alps and the Carpathians, there on larch). Non-European species of the complex are of growing Ganoderma tsugae on Tsuga and Ganoderma oregonese. From East Asia originate Ganoderma sinense and Ganoderma japonicum.

Importance

As the Shining Mushroom Reishi is not in question, as a timber pest he is insignificant.

In East Asia, the fungus is used as a remedy. Therapeutic applications often are aimed at strengthening the immune system and the liver and to the stimulation of the metabolism. The therapeutic benefits of G. lucidum containing preparations for treatments of various ailments or diseases is supported by evidence in the literature; many of the allegedly responsible for chemical substances are unknown. As with all medicinal plants their concentration can sometimes fluctuate in biological material. Also may be affected by confusion with other closely related species, the efficacy of G. lucidum preparations. The fungal spores are used.

Due to its frequent use as a medical remedy, especially for neurotic disorders and as a tonic G. lucidum is also grown as a crop. The Chinese name ling zhi means " spirit plant", other common Chinese names are " mushroom of immortality ", " Ten thousand -year mushroom", and " herb of spiritual power ." He is regarded in China as the " king of herbs " and used in traditional Chinese medicine as a medicinal mushroom. He is there as an equal to ginseng ( Panax ginseng). Assumed that the fungus is used in China for thousands of years as a tonic.

The Shining Lackporling is mentioned in numerous legends and formerly served as a talisman. He was hung in buildings in order to prevent accidents.

In the open source Beer Free Beer this fungus is used in version 3.3 as " spice ".

Synonyms and other names

• Ganoderma atkinsonii

Other names by which he is known in alternative medicine circles in Germany, are Japanese: Reishi (霊 芝), Korean Jong Si (actually ryŏngji 령지 or yeongji灵芝) or Chinese: Ling Zhi ( Lingzhi灵芝).