Fungus · GBIF taxon 2549730
lacquered bracket
Ganoderma lucidumAlso known as Reishi, Varnished Conk, Lingzhi
Lacquered bracket emerges on decaying hardwood timber with a distinctive glossy, reddish-brown cap that looks freshly shellacked. Its tough, woody bracket attached by a lateral stem functions as an efficient spore factory, releasing millions of microscopic spores from tiny pores underneath. As a vital saprotrophic decomposer, this fungus breaks down complex lignin, returning crucial nutrients to ancient forest soils.
PolyporeWood-DecayGlossy Cap
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Dead hardwood timber
- Tree stumps
- Lignin
Predators
- Darkling beetles
- Fungus gnats
- Slugs
ThreatsDeforestation and intensive forestry removing deadwood
HabitatsTemperate hardwood forests and ancient woodlands
Life spanFruiting bodies persist several months to a year
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPolyporaceae
- SpeciesGanoderma lucidum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many wild fungi have toxic look-alikes; never ingest wild mushrooms based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Look Near Stumps: Search around the roots and stumps of decaying oak or beech trees.
- Examine the Cap: Touch the top to feel the hard, varnish-like protective crust.
- Observe the Underside: Check the tiny cream-colored pore layer beneath the cap.
Frequent Companion Jerzy Opioła / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved · cc0
Close Relative (c) Erlon Bailey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Erlon Bailey · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Nova Patch, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Nova Patch · cc-by-sa
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.