| Ganoderma oregonense | |
|---|---|
| |
| Jefferson County, Washington, 2023 | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Polyporales |
| Family: | Ganodermataceae |
| Genus: | Ganoderma |
| Species: | G. oregonense
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ganoderma oregonense | |
Ganoderma oregonense (also known as the west-coast reishi, western varnished conk, lacquer fungus, and/or American ling-chi) is a species of bracket fungus that causes root and butt white rot in conifers in northwestern coastal North America.
This species was originally described by W. A. Murrill as:
Pileus reniform, corky, rigid, convex above, plane below, 10 x 17 x 5 cm; surface glabrous, thinly encrusted, smooth, laccate, very lustrous, bay to black, with a deep groove near the margin, which is cream-colored, rounded, smooth, entire, finely tomentose; context punky, white to slightly discolored, homogeneous, with white lines of mycelium near the stipe, 2-3.5 cm. thick; tubes annual, 1 cm. long, avellaneous within, mouths circular to angular, 3 to a mm., edges thin, entire, white to avellaneous; stipe lateral, very thick, short, subcylindric, 2-4 cm long, 3-6 cm. thick, expanding into the pileus, which it resembles in color, surface, and context.[2]
Western varnished conk has a shiny brown-red-orange and sometimes cream-colored upper surface (often appearing as a color gradient), and white- or cream-colored pores.[3] It can be shaped like a kidney or a fan or a hoof,[4] or like a plate or stack of plates jammed into the side of a log. It fruits annually (rather than perennially), and usually shows up in the fall.[3] They can grow up to 10–50 centimetres (4–19+1⁄2 in) wide, sometimes with a stem 2.5–10 cm (1–4 in) long and 0.5–4 cm (1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) thick.[5]
G. oregonense is very similar to Ganoderma tsugae,[6] but G. tsugae is associated with east coast Tsuga (hemlock) rather than west coast conifer.[7] Its been speculated that G. oregonense and G. tsugae might actually be one species.[6] Additionally, G. polychromum usually grows on the ground.[5]
It can be found in northwestern coastal North America,[8][3] including California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska.[9] It can be found year-round but is freshest from July to November.[5]
Trees inoculated with G. oregonense end up with spongy, soft insides.[3] It prefers dead red fir but will also accept dead or alive Douglas fir, spruce, hemlock, and pine.[3] When this reishi is found on living trees it is usually consequent to tree wounds,[3] such as bear marks.
According to Paul Stamets, this fungus is edible.[10] This is unusual for a Ganoderma, specimens of which are usually far too tough to be eaten. (Reishi is often dried, powdered and consumed as a mushroom tea.)[10]
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