Ganoderma tsugae Murrill 1902

Reishi, reishe

About plant names...

Reishi is native to many areas of the world, including North America.

Identification: These are "shelf mushrooms" (polypores), fungi that grow out of the sides of living or dead trees. They prefer conifers, especially eastern hemlock. Caps are roughly ear-shaped, 1¾-12" (5-30 cm) across and up to 1¾" (5 cm) thick, woody, lumpy, with a shiny red surface that gradually develops a brownish crust. The red surface may be fairly uniform, but on some specimens, the color grades from brown at the base, through red, orange, yellow and finally cream-colored at the edges. The underside is a white or light brownish color, with fine pores. Stems are 1-6" (3-14 cm) long, or sometimes not present at all. The fungus produces a brown spore print.

Medical: There is evidence that this mushroom contains substances that inhibit the growth of some cancers, though more research is necessary. It has long been used in Chinese herbal medicine, for asthma and autoimmune conditions.

Online References:

Michael Kuo's MushroomExpert.com

by Gary Emberger at Messiah College

The Cornell Mushroom Blog

Tom Volk's Fungi site, at the Department of Biology at the University of Wisconsin (Ganoderma lucidum)

RogersMushrooms.com

Wild Branch Mushrooms

AmericanMushrooms.com

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 21 cm) ID is uncertain

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 11 × 7" (28 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

8/31/2018 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 3½" (11 × 9.5 cm)

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

8/27/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 11 × 9" (27 × 22 cm)

8/27/2017 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Self-guided Nature Trail, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 11 cm)

8/21/2018 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 3½" (10 × 8.8 cm)

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 35 × 23" (89 × 59 cm) ID is uncertain

9/18/2017 · Purgatory Falls, Mont Vernon, New Hamp­shire
≈ 4 × 3" (10 × 8.5 cm)

8/27/2017 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Self-guided Nature Trail, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 9 × 8" (23 × 20 cm)

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 6 × 3½" (14 × 9.4 cm) ID is uncertain

Ganoderma tsugae description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 7 Oct 2021.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

12/11/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

8/27/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 12 × 9" (29 × 24 cm)

9/23/2007 · Milford, Penn­syl­vania

8/27/2017 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Self-guided Nature Trail, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 9 × 8" (23 × 19 cm)

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 35 × 23" (89 × 59 cm) ID is uncertain

7/12/2015 · Bingham Falls, Smuggler’s Notch State Park, Cambridge, Ver­mont
≈ 6 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

8/27/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 11 × 9" (28 × 23 cm)

7/12/2020 · Harraseeket Trail, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport, Maine
≈ 10 × 15" (26 × 39 cm)

On eastern hemlock. · 8/8/2010 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 6 × 3½" (14 × 9.4 cm) ID is uncertain

8/27/2017 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Self-guided Nature Trail, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 6 × 5" (15 × 13 cm)