| Lingzhi | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Agaricomycetes |
| Order: | Polyporales |
| Family: | Ganodermataceae |
| Genus: | Ganoderma |
| Species: | G. sichuanense |
| Binomial name | |
| Ganoderma sichuanense J.D. Zhao & X.Q. Zhang (1983)[1] | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
Ganoderma lingzhiSheng H. Wu, Y. Cao & Y.C. Dai (2012) | |
Lingzhi | |
|---|---|
 | Pores onhymenium |
  | Cap isoffset or indistinct |
 | Hymenium attachment is irregular or not applicable |
 | Stipe isbare or lacks astipe |
 | Spore print isbrown |
  | Ecology issaprotrophic orparasitic |
 | Edibility is edible, butunpalatable |
| Lingzhi | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 靈芝 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 灵芝 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Lingzhi,Ganoderma sichuanense, also known asreishi orGanoderma lingzhi[3] is apolyporefungus ("bracket fungus") native toEast Asia belonging to thegenusGanoderma.
Its reddish brown, varnished, kidney-shapedcap with bands and peripherally insertedstem give it a distinctfan-like appearance. When fresh, the lingzhi is soft, cork-like, and flat. It lacksgills on its underside, and instead releases itsspores via fine pores (80–120 μm) in yellow colors.[2]
In nature, it grows at the base and stumps ofdeciduous trees, especiallymaples. Only two or three out of 10,000 such trees will have lingzhi growth, and therefore its wild form is rare.[citation needed] Lingzhi may be cultivated onhardwood logs,sawdust, orwoodchips.
The lingzhi mushroom is used intraditional Chinese medicine.[2][4] There is insufficient evidence to indicate that consumingGanoderma mushrooms in any form has any effect on human health or diseases.[5][6][7]
Lingzhi, also known asreishi from its Japanese pronunciation, is the ancient "mushroom of immortality", revered for over 2,000 years (with some evidence suggesting use in Neolithic China 6,800 years ago).[8] However, as of 2023 there is an ongoing debate on which one of the describedGanoderma species is the true lingzhi mushroom. It is also likely that a few similarGanoderma species were considered interchangeable.
In the scientific literature, the lingzhi mushroom is ambiguously referred to as:
One source employed to solve the task of identifying the traditional lingzhi mushroom is the 16th century Chinese herbal compendium, theBencao Gangmu (1578). There, a number of different lingzhi-like mushrooms defined by color were used for different purposes. No exact current species can be attached to these ancient lingzhi for certain, but according to Dai et al. (2017),[10] as well as other researchers, and based on molecular work, red lingzhi is most likely to beGanoderma sichuanense.[11][2]
Ganoderma sichuanense is the most widely found species in Chinese herb shops today,[citation needed] and the fruiting bodies are widely cultivated in China and shipped to many other countries. About 7–10 otherGanoderma species are also sold in some shops, but have different Chinese and Latin names, and are considered different in their activity and functions. The differences are based on concentrations oftriterpenes such asganoderic acid and its derivatives, which vary widely among species. Research on the genus is ongoing, but a number of recent phylogenetic analyses have been published in recent years.[12]
Petter Adolf Karsten first described the genusGanoderma in 1881,.[13][14] He designated as its type species a European fungus namedBoletus lucidus by English botanistWilliam Curtis in 1781. Since then, many otherGanoderma species have been described.
The lingzhi'sbotanical names haveGreek and Latin roots.Ganoderma derives from theGreekganos (γανος;'brightness'), andderma (δερμα;'skin; together; shining skin').[15] Thespecific epithet,sichuanense, comes from theSichuan Chinese province. The common name, lingzhi, comes fromChinese, meaning'divine mushroom'.
It was once thought thatG. lingzhi generally occurred in two growth forms: a large,sessile, specimen with a small or nonexistent stalk, found in North America, and a smaller specimen with a long, narrow stalk, found mainly in the tropics. However, recent molecular evidence has identified the former, stalkless, form as a distinct species calledG. sessile, a name given to North American specimens by William Alfonso Murrill in 1902.[12][16]
Environmental conditions play a substantial role in the lingzhi's manifest morphological characteristics. For example, elevatedcarbon dioxide levels result in stemelongation in lingzhi. Other formations include antlers without a cap, which may also be related to carbon dioxide levels. The three main factors that influence fruit body development morphology are light, temperature, and humidity. While water and air quality play a role in fruit body development morphology, they do so to a lesser degree.[17]
Ganoderma lingzhi is found inEast Asia growing as aparasite orsaprotroph on a variety of trees.[18]Ganoderma curtisii andG. ravenelii are the closest relatives of the lingzhi mushroom in North America.[19]
In the wild, lingzhi grows at the base and stumps of deciduous trees, especiallymaples.[20] Only two or three out of 10,000 such aged trees will have lingzhi growth, and therefore it is extremely rare in its natural form.[citation needed] Today, lingzhi is effectively cultivated on hardwood logs or sawdust/woodchips.[21]
Ganoderma lucidum contains diversephytochemicals, includingtriterpenes (ganoderic acids), which have a molecular structure similar to that ofsteroidhormones.[22] It also contains phytochemicals found in fungal materials, includingpolysaccharides (such asbeta-glucan),coumarin,[23]mannitol, andalkaloids.[22]Sterols isolated from the mushroom includeganoderol,ganoderenic acid,ganoderiol,ganodermanontriol,lucidadiol, andganodermadiol.[22] It is likely the that differentGanoderma species called Lingzhi vary in their chemical constituents, and that confusion about naming makes it difficult to interpret the supporting literature.
A 2015Cochrane database review found insufficient evidence to justify the use ofG. lucidum as afirst-line cancer treatment.[5][6] It stated thatG. lucidum may have "benefit as an alternative adjunct to conventional treatment in consideration of its potential of enhancing tumour response and stimulating host immunity."[6] Existing studies do not support the use ofG. lucidum for treatment ofrisk factors ofcardiovascular disease in people withtype 2 diabetes mellitus.[7]
Because of its bitter taste,[24] lingzhi is traditionally prepared as a hot water extract product for use infolk medicine.[25] Thinly sliced or pulverized lingzhi (either fresh or dried) is added to boiling water which is then reduced to a simmer, covered, and left for 2 hours.[26] The resulting liquid is dark and fairly bitter in taste. The red lingzhi is often more bitter than the black. The process is sometimes repeated to increase the concentration. Alternatively, it can be used as an ingredient in a formuladecoction, or used to make an extract (in liquid, capsule, or powder form).[27]
Lingzhi is commercially manufactured and sold. Since the early 1970s, most lingzhi is cultivated. Lingzhi can grow on substrates such as sawdust, grain, and wood logs. After formation of the fruiting body, lingzhi is most commonly harvested, dried, ground, and processed into tablets or capsules to be directly ingested or made into tea or soup. Other lingzhi products include processed fungal mycelia or spores.[26] Lingzhi is also used to createmycelium bricks.[28]
In the chronicles ofShiji (1st century CE fromSima Qian), the initial use of nearby separately related words withChinese:芝 andChinese:靈 are attested to in the poems ofEmperor Wu of Han. Later, in the 1st century CE through the poetry ofBan Gu, occurred the first combination of the characters靈芝 together into a single word, in anode dedicated to Lingzhi.[30][31]
Since ancient times, Taoist temples were called "the abode of mushrooms" and according to their mystical teachings, the use of woody mushroomszhi (Ganoderma) orlingzhi "spirits mushroom", in particular making from it a concentrated decoction ofhallucinogenic action,[30] gave followers the opportunity to see spirits or become spirits themselves by receiving the magical energy of the immortalsxians, located on the "fields of grace" in the heavenly "mushroom fields" (zhitian.[32]
In the philosophical workHuainanzi, it is said that the lingzhi mushroom is personification of nobility; from which shamans brewed a psychedelic drink.[33][34]
TheShennong bencao jing (Divine Farmer's Classic of Pharmaceutics) ofc. 200–250 CE classifieszhi into six color categories, each of which is believed to benefit theqi, or "life force", in a different part of the body:qingzhi (青芝;'green mushroom') for the liver,chizhi (赤芝;'red mushroom') for the heart,huangzhi (黃芝;'yellow mushroom') for the spleen,baizhi (白芝;'white mushroom') for the lungs,heizhi (黑芝;'black mushroom') for the kidneys, andzizhi (紫芝;'purple mushroom') for the Essence.[clarification needed] Commentators identify the redchizhi, ordanzhi (丹芝;'cinnabar mushroom'), as the lingzhi.[35][36]
Chi Zhi (Ganoderma rubra) is bitter and balanced. It mainly treats binding in the chest, boosts the heart qi, supplements the center, sharpens the wits, and [causes people] not to forget [i.e., improves the memory]. Protracted taking may make the body light, prevent senility, and prolong life so as to make one an immortal. Its other name isDan Zhi (Cinnabar Ganoderma). It grows in mountains and valleys.[37]
In the Taoist treatise ofBaopuzi fromGe Hong, the lingzhi is used for immortality.[38][35][36]
The (1596)Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) has aZhi (芝) category that includes six types ofzhi (calling the green, red, yellow, white, black, and purple mushrooms of theShennong bencao jing theliuzhi (六芝; "six mushrooms") and sixteen other fungi, mushrooms, and lichens, includingmu'er (木耳; "wood ear"; "cloud ear fungus",Auricularia auricula-judae). The authorLi Shizhen classified these six differently coloredzhi asxiancao (仙草; "immortality herbs"), and described the effects ofchizhi ("red mushroom"):
It positively affects the life-energy, orQi of the heart, repairing the chest area and benefiting those with a knotted and tight chest. Taken over a long period of time, the agility of the body will not cease, and the years are lengthened to those of the Immortal Fairies.[39][40]
Stuart and Smith's classic study ofChinese herbology describes thezhi.
芝 (Chih) is defined in the classics as the plant of immortality, and it is therefore always considered to be a felicitous one. It is said to absorb the earthy vapors and to leave a heavenly atmosphere. For this reason, it is called 靈芝 (Ling-chih.) It is large and of a branched form, and probably representsClavaria orSparassis. Its form is likened to that of coral.[41]
TheBencao Gangmu does not listlingzhi as a variety ofzhi, but as an alternate name for theshi'er (石耳; "stone ear",Umbilicaria esculenta) lichen. According to Stuart and Smith,
[The 石耳 Shih-erh is] edible, and has all of the good qualities of the 芝 (Chih), it is also being used in the treatment ofgravel, and said to benefit virility. It is specially used in hemorrhage from the bowels and prolapse of the rectum. While the name of this would indicate that it was one of theAuriculariales, the fact that the name 靈芝 (Ling-chih) is also given to it might place it among theClavariaceae.[41]
InChinese art, thelingzhi symbolizes great health and longevity, as depicted in the imperialForbidden City andSummer Palace.[25] It was atalisman for luck in the traditionalculture of China, and the goddess of healingGuanyin is sometimes depicted holding a lingzhi mushroom.[40]
| Regional names | |
|---|---|
| Historical name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 靈芝 |
| Literal meaning | spirit mushroom |
| Middle Chinese | /leŋ.t͡ɕɨ/ |
| Zhengzhang | /*reːŋ.tjɯ/ |
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 靈芝 |
| Simplified Chinese | 灵芝 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | língzhī |
| Wade–Giles | ling2-chih1 |
| Jyutping | ling4 zi1 |
| Vietnamese name | |
| Vietnamese | linh chi |
| Chữ Nôm | 靈芝 |
| Thai name | |
| Thai | หลินจือ |
| RTGS | lin chue |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 영지 |
| Hanja | 靈芝 |
| Revised Romanization | yeongji |
| McCune–Reischauer | yŏngji |
| Japanese name | |
| Kanji | 霊芝 |
| Hiragana | れいし |
| Katakana | レイシ |
| Revised Hepburn | reishi |
TheOld Chinese name for lingzhi靈芝 was first recorded during theHan dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD). In theChinese language,língzhī (靈芝) is a compound. It compriseslíng (靈); "spirit, spiritual; soul; miraculous; sacred; divine; mysterious; efficacious; effective)" as, for example, in the name of theLingyan Temple inJinan, andzhī (芝); "(traditional) plant of longevity; fungus; seed; branch; mushroom; excrescence").Fabrizio Pregadio notes, "The termzhi, which has no equivalent in Western languages, refers to a variety of supermundane substances often described as plants, fungi, or 'excrescences'."[42]Zhi occurs in other Chinese plant names, such aszhīmá (芝麻; "sesame" or "seed"), and was anciently used aphonetic loan character forzhǐ (芷; "Angelica iris"). Chinese differentiatesGanoderma species intochìzhī (赤芝; "red mushroom")G. lingzhi, andzǐzhī (紫芝; "purple mushroom")Ganoderma sinense.
Lingzhi has severalsynonyms. Of these,ruìcǎo (瑞草; "auspicious plant") (ruì瑞; "auspicious; felicitous omen" with the suffixcǎo草; "plant; herb") is the oldest; theErya dictionary (c. 3rd century BCE) definesxiú苬, interpreted as amiscopy ofjūn (菌; "mushroom") aszhī (芝; "mushroom"), and the commentary ofGuo Pu (276–324) says, "The [zhi] flowers three times in one year. It is a [ruicao] felicitous plant."[43] Other Chinese names forGanoderma includeruìzhī (瑞芝; "auspicious mushroom"),shénzhī (神芝; "divine mushroom", withshen; "spirit; god' supernatural; divine"),mùlíngzhī (木靈芝) (with "tree; wood"),xiāncǎo (仙草; "immortality plant", withxian; "(Daoism) transcendent; immortal; wizard"), andlíngzhīcǎo (靈芝草) orzhīcǎo (芝草; "mushroom plant").
Since both Chineseling andzhi have multiple meanings,lingzhi has diverse English translations. Renditions include "[zhi] possessed of soul power",[44] "Herb of Spiritual Potency" or "Mushroom of Immortality",[45] "Numinous Mushroom",[42] "divine mushroom",[46] "divine fungus",[47] "Magic Fungus",[48] and "Marvelous Fungus".[49]
In English,lingzhi orling chih (sometimes spelled "ling chi", using the FrenchEFEO Chinese transcription) is aChinese loanword. It is also commonly referred to as "reishi", which is loaned from Japanese.[50]
TheOxford English Dictionary (OED) gives the definition, "The fungusGanoderma lucidum (actuallyGanoderma lingzhi (seeGanoderma lucidum for details), believed in China to confer longevity and used as a symbol of this on Chinese ceramic ware.",[51] and identifies theetymology of the word as Chinese:líng, "divine" +zhī, "fungus". According to theOED, the earliest recorded usage of theWade–Giles romanizationling chih is 1904,[52] and of thePinyinlingzhi is 1980.
In addition to the transliterated loanwords, English names include "glossy ganoderma" and "shiny polyporus".[53]
TheJapanese wordreishi (霊芝) is aSino-Japanese loanword deriving from the Chineselíngzhī (灵芝;靈芝). Its modern Japanesekanji,霊, is theshinjitai ("new character form") of thekyūjitai ("old character form"),靈. Synonyms forreishi are divided between Sino-Japanese borrowings and native Japanese coinages. Sinitic loanwords include literary terms such aszuisō (瑞草, fromruìcǎo; "auspicious plant") andsensō (仙草, fromxiāncǎo; "immortality plant"). TheJapanese writing system usesshi orshiba (芝) for "grass; lawn; turf", andtake orkinoko (茸) for "mushroom" (e.g.,shiitake). A common native Japanese name ismannentake (万年茸; "10,000-year mushroom"). Other Japanese terms forreishi includekadodetake (門出茸; "departure mushroom"),hijiridake (聖茸; "sage mushroom"), andmagoshakushi (孫杓子; "grandchild ladle").
TheKorean name,yeongji (Korean: 영지;Hanja: 靈芝) is also borrowed from, so acognate with, the Chinese wordlíngzhī (灵芝;靈芝). It is often calledyeongjibeoseot (영지버섯; "yeongji mushroom") in Korean, with the addition of the native wordbeoseot (버섯) meaning "mushroom". Other common names includebullocho (불로초;不老草; "elixir grass") andjicho (지초;芝草). According to color,yeongji mushrooms can be classified asjeokji (적지;赤芝) for "red",jaji (자지;紫芝) for "purple",heukji (흑지;黑芝) for "black",cheongji (청지;靑芝) for "blue" or "green",baekji (백지;白芝) for "white", andhwangji (황지;黃芝) for "yellow". South Korea produces over 25,000 tons of mushrooms every year.
TheThai wordhet lin chue (เห็ดหลินจือ) is a compound of the native wordhet (เห็ด) meaning "mushroom" and the loanwordlin chue (หลินจือ) from the Chineselíngzhī (灵芝;靈芝).
TheVietnamese language wordlinh chi is a loanword from Chinese. It is often used withnấm, the Vietnamese word for "mushroom", thusnấm linh chi is the equivalent of "lingzhi mushroom".
胸中結, 益心氣, 補中, 增智慧, 不忘。久食, 輕身不老, 延年神仙。
Zhi 芝 numinous mushrooms; excrescences
Media related toGanoderma lingzhi at Wikimedia Commons
