Lingzhi mushroom

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The **lingzhi mushroom** is a polypore mushroom belonging to the genus *Ganoderma*. Its red-varnished, kidney-shaped cap gives it a distinct 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. Depending on the age of the mushroom, the pores on its underside may be white or brown.

Lingzhi 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 lingzhi growth, and therefore its wild form is extremely rare. Today, lingzhi is effectively cultivated on hardwood logs or sawdust/woodchips.

## Taxonomy and Ecology

It is part of a species complex that encompasses several fungal species. The most common and closely related species are *Ganoderma lucidum* (see also Scytalidopepsin B) and *Ganoderma tsugae*. There are multiple species of lingzhi encompassed within the *Ganoderma lucidum* species complex and mycologists continue researching the differences among species within this complex.

### Nomenclature

Petter Adolf Karsten named the genus *Ganoderma* in 1881. English botanist William Curtis gave the fungus its first binomial name, *Boletus lucidus*, in 1781. The lingzhi's botanical names have Greek and Latin roots. *Ganoderma* derives from the Greek *ganos* (γανος; "brightness"), and *derma* (δερμα; "skin; together; shining skin"). The specific epithet, *lucidum,* is from Latin, meaning "shining".

With the advent of genome sequencing, the genus *Ganoderma* has undergone taxonomic reclassification. Prior to genetic analyses of fungi, classification was done according to morphological characteristics such as size and color. The internal transcribed spacer region of the Ganoderma genome is considered to be a standard barcode marker.

### Varieties

It was once thought that *Ganoderma lucidum* generally occurred in two growth forms: a large, sessile, specimen with a small or nonexistent stalk, found in North America, and a smaller specimen with a long, narrow stalk found mainly in the tropics. However, recent molecular evidence has identified the former, stalkless, form as a distinct species called *G. sessile*, a name given to North American specimens by William Alfonso Murrill in 1902.

Environmental conditions play a substantial role in the lingzhi's manifest morphological characteristics. For example, elevated carbon dioxide levels result in stem elongation in lingzhi. Other formations include antlers without a cap, which may also be related to carbon dioxide levels. The three main factors that influence fruit body development morphology are light, temperature, and humidity. While water and air quality play a role in fruit body development morphology, they do so to a lesser degree.

### Habitat

*Ganoderma lucidum* and its close relative, *Ganoderma tsugae*, grow in the northern Eastern Hemlock forests. These two species of bracket fungus have a worldwide distribution in both tropical and temperate geographical regions, growing as a parasite or saprotroph on a wide variety of trees. Similar species of *Ganoderma* have been found growing in the Amazon.

In the wild, lingzhi 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 lingzhi growth, and therefore it is extremely rare in its natural form. Today, lingzhi is effectively cultivated on hardwood logs or sawdust/woodchips.

Ganoderma lucidum-01.jpgYoung sporocarpJreishi2.jpgGrown lingzhi MushroomHokkaido Reishi's Deer Horn Shape Reishi.JPGDepending on environmental or cultivation conditions lingzhi may resemble antlers, with no umbrella cap.
## History

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The word *lingzhi* (靈芝) was first recorded in a *fu* (賦; "rhapsody; prose-poem") by the Han dynasty polymath Zhang Heng (CE 78–139). His *Xijing fu* (西京賦) (*Western Metropolis Rhapsody*) contains a description of the 104 BCE Jianzhang Palace of Emperor Wu of Han that parallels *lingzhi* with *shijun* (石菌; "rock mushroom"): "Raising huge breakers, lifting waves, That drenched the stone mushrooms on the high bank, And soaked the magic fungus on vermeil boughs." The commentary by Xue Zong (d. 237) notes that these fungi were eaten as drugs of immortality.

The *Shennong bencao jing* (*Divine Farmer's Classic of Pharmaceutics*) of c.200–250 CE, classifies *zhi* into six color categories, each of which is believed to benefit the *qi*, or "life force", in a different part of the body: *qingzhi* (青芝; "Green Mushroom") for the liver, *chizhi* (赤芝; "Red Mushroom") for the heart, *huangzhi* (黃芝; "Yellow Mushroom") for the spleen, *baizhi* (白芝; "White Mushroom") for the lungs, *heizhi* (黑芝; "Black Mushroom") for the kidneys, and *zizhi* (紫芝; "Purple Mushroom") for the Essence. Commentators identify the red *chizhi*, or *danzhi* (丹芝; "cinnabar mushroom"), as the *lingzhi*.

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While Chinese texts have recorded medicinal uses of *lingzhi* for more than 2,000 years, a few sources erroneously claim its use can be traced back more than 4,000 years. Modern scholarship accepts neither the historicity of Shennong, "Divine Farmer", (legendary inventor of agriculture, traditionally c. 2737–2697 BCE) nor that he wrote the *Shennong bencao jing*.Template:Citation needed

The (1596) *Bencao Gangmu* (*Compendium of Materia Medica*) has a *Zhi* (芝) category that includes six types of *zhi* (calling the green, red, yellow, white, black, and purple mushrooms of the *Shennong bencao jing* the *liuzhi* (六芝; "six mushrooms") and sixteen other fungi, mushrooms, and lichens, including *mu'er* (木耳; "wood ear"; "cloud ear fungus", *Auricularia auricula-judae*). The author Li Shizhen classified these six differently colored *zhi* as *xiancao* (仙草; "immortality herbs"), and described the effects of *chizhi* ("red mushroom"):
{{Quote|text=It positively affects the life-energy, or *Qi* of the heart, repairing the chest area and benefiting those with a knotted and tight chest. Taken over a long period of time, the agility of the body will not cease, and the years are lengthened to those of the Immortal Fairies.

Stuart and Smith's classic study of Chinese herbology describes the *zhi*.

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The *Bencao Gangmu* does not list *lingzhi* as a variety of *zhi*, but as an alternate name for the *shi'er* (石耳; "stone ear", *Umbilicaria esculenta*) lichen. According to Stuart and Smith,

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In Chinese art, the *lingzhi* symbolizes great health and longevity, as depicted in the imperial Forbidden City and Summer Palace. It was a talisman for luck in the traditional culture of China, and the goddess of healing Guanyin is sometimes depicted holding a lingzhi mushroom.

## Regional names

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Chinese
The name of the lingzhi fungus has a two thousand-year-old history. The Old Chinese name Template:Lang was first recorded during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD). In the Chinese language, Template:Transl (Template:Lang) is a compound. It comprises Template:Transl (Template:Lang); "spirit, spiritual; soul; miraculous; sacred; divine; mysterious; efficacious; effective)" as, for example, in the name of the Lingyan Temple in Jinan, and Template:Transl (Template:Lang); "(traditional) plant of longevity; fungus; seed; branch; mushroom; excrescence"). Fabrizio Pregadio notes, "The term *zhi*, which has no equivalent in Western languages, refers to a variety of supermundane substances often described as plants, fungi, or 'excrescences'." *Zhi* occurs in other Chinese plant names, such as Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "sesame" or "seed"), and was anciently used a phonetic loan character for Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "Angelica iris"). Chinese differentiates *Ganoderma* species into Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "red mushroom") *G. lucidum*, and Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "purple mushroom") *G. japonicum*.

Lingzhi has several synonyms. Of these, Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "auspicious plant") (Template:Transl Template:Lang; "auspicious; felicitous omen" with the suffix Template:Transl Template:Lang; "plant; herb") is the oldest; the *Erya* dictionary (c. 3rd century BCE) defines Template:Transl Template:Lang, interpreted as a miscopy of Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "mushroom") as Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "mushroom"), and the commentary of Guo Pu (276–324) says, "The [*zhi*] flowers three times in one year. It is a [*ruicao*] felicitous plant." Other Chinese names for *Ganoderma* include Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "auspicious mushroom"), Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "divine mushroom", with shen; "spirit; god' supernatural; divine"), Template:Transl (Template:Lang) (with "tree; wood"), Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "immortality plant", with xian; "(Daoism) transcendent; immortal; wizard"), and Template:Transl (Template:Lang) or Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "mushroom plant").

Since both Chinese *ling* and *zhi* have multiple meanings, *lingzhi* has diverse English translations. Renditions include "[zhi] possessed of soul power", "Herb of Spiritual Potency" or "Mushroom of Immortality", "Numinous Mushroom", "divine mushroom", "divine fungus", "Magic Fungus", and "Marvelous Fungus".

English
In English, *lingzhi* or *ling chih* (sometimes spelled "*ling chi*", using the French EFEO Chinese transcription) is a Chinese loanword.

The *Oxford English Dictionary* (OED) gives the definition, "The fungus *Ganoderma lucidum*, believed in China to confer longevity and used as a symbol of this on Chinese ceramic ware.", and identifies the etymology of the word as Chinese: *líng*, "divine" + *zhī*, "fungus". According to the *OED*, the earliest recorded usage of the Wade–Giles romanization *ling chih* is 1904, and of the Pinyin *lingzhi* is 1980.

In addition to the transliterated loanword, English names include "glossy ganoderma" and "shiny polyporus".

Japanese
The Japanese word Template:Transl (Template:Lang) is a Sino-Japanese loanword deriving from the Chinese Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang). Its modern Japanese kanji, Template:Lang, is the shinjitai ("new character form") of the kyūjitai ("old character form"), Template:Lang. Synonyms for *reishi* are divided between Sino-Japanese borrowings and native Japanese coinages. Sinitic loanwords include literary terms such as Template:Transl (Template:Lang, from Template:Transl; "auspicious plant") and Template:Transl (Template:Lang, from Template:Transl; "immortality plant"). The Japanese writing system uses Template:Transl or Template:Transl (Template:Lang) for "grass; lawn; turf", and *take* or Template:Transl (Template:Lang) for "mushroom" (e.g., shiitake). A common native Japanese name is Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "10,000-year mushroom"). Other Japanese terms for *reishi* include Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "departure mushroom"), Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "sage mushroom"), and Template:Transl (Template:Lang; "grandchild ladle").

Korean
The Korean name, Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) is also borrowed from, so a cognate with, the Chinese word Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang). It is often called *yeongjibeoseot* (Template:Lang; "*yeongji* mushroom") in Korean, with the addition of the native word Template:Transl (Template:Lang) meaning "mushroom". Other common names include Template:Transl (Template:Lang, Template:Lang; "elixir grass") and Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang). According to color, *yeongji* mushrooms can be classified as Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) for "red", Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) for "purple", Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) for "black", Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) for "blue" or "green", Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) for "white", and Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang) for "yellow".

Thai
The Thai word Template:Transl (Template:Lang) is a compound of the native word Template:Transl (Template:Lang) meaning "mushroom" and the loanword Template:Transl (Template:Lang) from the Chinese Template:Transl (Template:Lang; Template:Lang).

Vietnamese
The Vietnamese language word Template:Lang is a loanword from Chinese. It is often used with Template:Lang, the Vietnamese word for "mushroom", thus Template:Lang is the equivalent of "lingzhi mushroom".

## Use

### Medicinal

 File:Ganoderic acid.png
*Ganoderma lucidum* produces a group of triterpenes called ganoderic acids, which have a molecular structure similar to that of steroid hormones. It also contains other compounds often found in fungal materials, including polysaccharides (such as beta-glucan), coumarin, mannitol, and alkaloids. Sterols isolated from the mushroom include ganoderol, ganoderenic acid, ganoderiol, ganodermanontriol, lucidadiol, and ganodermadiol.

A 2015 Cochrane database review found insufficient evidence to justify the use of *G. lucidum* as a first-line cancer treatment. It suggests that *G. lucidum* may have "benefit as an alternative adjunct to conventional treatment in consideration of its potential of enhancing tumour response and stimulating host immunity." Existing studies do not support the use of *G. lucidum* for treatment of risk factors of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

### Culinary

Because of its bitter taste, lingzhi is traditionally prepared as a hot water extract product. Thinly sliced or pulverized lingzhi (either fresh or dried) is added to boiling water which is then reduced to a simmer, covered, and left for 2 hours. The resulting liquid is dark and fairly bitter in taste. The red lingzhi is often more bitter than the black. The process is sometimes repeated to increase the concentration. Alternatively, it can be used as an ingredient in a formula decoction, or used to make an extract (in liquid, capsule, or powder form). The more active red forms of lingzhi are far too bitter to be consumed in a soup.Template:Citation needed

Lingzhi is now commercially manufactured and sold. Since the early 1970s, most lingzhi is cultivated. Lingzhi can grow on substrates such as sawdust, grain, and wood logs. After formation of the fruiting body, lingzhi is most commonly harvested, dried, ground, and processed into tablets or capsules to be directly ingested or made into tea or soup. Other lingzhi products include processed fungal mycelia or spores.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Template:Cite book
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4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Template:Cite journal
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9. ↑ *Ganoderma sessile*. International Mycological Association.
10. ↑ Template:Cite journal
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15. ↑ Reishi Mushroom Benefits & Other Facts about Reishi.
16. ↑ Template:Cite wikisource
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26. ↑ Template:Cite book (Victoria and Albert Museum); This context describes the *lingzhi* fungus and ruyi scepter as Daoist symbols of longevity on a jade vase.
27. ↑ Names of a Selection of Asian Fungi. University of Melbourne (18 February 1999).
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Template:Cite journal
29. ↑ Template:Cite journal
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32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Template:Cite book

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