Fungus
West Coast Reishi
Ganoderma oregonenseAlso known as Oregon Reishi, Pacific Northwest Reishi, Western Lacquered Polypore
West Coast reishi forms massive, glossy red-brown bracket fruiting bodies with a thick lacquered cap on conifers along the Pacific Northwest coast. These tough polypores decay fallen logs and heartwood of mature hemlocks and firs, playing a major role in forest nutrient cycling. Their pale underside darkens when touched or aged, releasing millions of reddish-brown spores over the mossy forest floor.
PolyporeWood DecayerLacquered
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—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyConifer wood
Predators
- Fungus gnats
- Darkling beetles
- Slugs
ThreatsDeforestation and loss of old growth conifer forests
HabitatsTemperate rainforests and coastal conifer forests
Life span1–3 years
Classification
- FamilyPolyporaceae
- SpeciesGanoderma oregonense
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild fungi have dangerous look-alikes; never ingest wild mushrooms based on app identification.
Responsible observation
- Observing growth: Look for bright white or yellow margins on actively growing cap edges.
- Finding specimens: Search the bases and heavy stumps of old western hemlocks and firs.
- Identifying spores: Check surrounding bark and moss for a coating of fine rusty brown spores.
Genus Member no rights reserved · cc0
Host Tree (c) Lyrae, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Lyrae · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Erlon Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Erlon Bailey · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Chael Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Chael Thomas · cc-by-sa
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