Fungus · GBIF taxon 2549668
Reishi Mushroom
Ganoderma sichuanenseAlso known as Lingzhi, Sichuan Ganoderma, Varnished Bracket
Reishi mushrooms form striking, kidney-shaped shelf brackets with a distinct lacquered reddish-brown surface. Sprouting near the bases or stumps of broadleaf trees, these fungi play a vital ecological role breaking down dense hardwood tissue into soil nutrients. Spores release from thousands of fine pale pores covering the cap underside, dispersing across forest floors to colonize fallen wood.
FungusWood DecayerPolypore
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Decaying Wood
- Lignin
- Cellulose
Predators
- Fungus Beetles
- Fungus Gnat Larvae
- Rodents
ThreatsHabitat loss, overharvesting of wild specimens
HabitatsBroadleaf forests, mixed temperate woodlands
Life spanPerennial fruit bodies (persisting 1–3 years)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPolyporaceae
- SpeciesGanoderma sichuanense
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Observation: Look for shiny, shell-like brackets growing around broadleaf tree roots or stumps.
- Photography: Capture the glossy lacquered upper cap alongside the pale pore surface beneath.
- Ethics: Leave wild specimens attached to logs to allow ongoing spore dispersal.
Ecological Competitor (c) Jamie Griffiths, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jamie Griffiths · cc-by
Close Relative "Reishi Mushroom" by Wendell Smith is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Close Relative no rights reserved · cc0
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.