Description
Reishi mushrooms encompasses several fungal species of the genus Ganoderma. They are polypore mushrooms that are soft corky and flat, with a red-varnish, kidney shaped cap. They do not have any gills on their undersides. They grow as a parasite or saprotroph on a wide variety of trees.
They grow in the Northern Eastern Hemlock forests, with a worldwide distribution in both tropical and temperate geographical regions. In nature, Ling Zhi particularly grow at the base of deciduous trees, especially maple trees.
The Chinese name is Ling Zhi. In Chinese, “Ling Zhi” is made up of the compounds, “Ling” meaning “spirit, soul, miraculous, sacred, divine, mysterious or effective” and “Zhi” meaning “plant of longevity, fungus, seed, branch, or mushroom”. Taken together, “Ling Zhi” can mean “auspicious plant, divine mushroom or immortality plant, magic fungus or marvelous fungus.”
Ling Zhi mushrooms have been used in Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years , making them one of the oldest mushrooms known to be used medicinally. They were originally thought to be an elixir of life for gaining immortality. As such, they were valued by Taoist monks for both their properties of increasing health and aiding the development of spritual experiences and understanding. Ling Zhi was said to “absorb earthly vapors and leave a heavenly atmosphere.”
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