Ganaderma lucidum occurs in the Western and Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Mpumalanga, as well as Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and is quite common in all of these areas during summer and autumn. The shiny, varnished upper surface is the most distinctive feature of the fruit bodies.
These fugi are important pathogens of broad-leafed trees. Some develop on the trunks of living trees while others appear to grow from the soil attached to their roots.
In China, for over 2,000 years, the mushroom known as Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) has been called “God’s Herb”. Also recognized by its Chinese name, Ling Zhi, Reishi’s reputation for being effective in treating a wide range of ailments moved Chinese Emperors throughout the various Dynasties to order servants to search for wild Reishi mushrooms found atop distant mountains, believing that the consumption of Reishi would grant them eternal youth and enhanced health. Because of the mushroom’s remote habitat and the scarcity of high-quality specimens, the use of Reishi or medicinal purposes was reserved primarily for royalty and wealthy individuals. It was not until the late 20th century, that this once-rare plant, through diligent cultivation by the Japanese, was it made widely available to the general public.
The original textbook of Oriental medical science, “Herbal Pharmacopoeia”, was compiled by the founding father of Chinese medicine, Shen Nong (Han Dynasty, 206 BC ~ 8 AD). In it, the legendary herbalist-emperor documented 365 species of plants and classified them into three categories: superior, average and fair. These classifications were based on two main criteria: its benefits, based on consumption on a continual basis, and side effects. For those plants graded as “superior”, the power to harmonize the functions of the body, mind and spirit and the range of ailments they could treat were greater and broader than those of weaker specimens. In addition, they had to have little or no long term side effects. Among the specimens in this class, Reishi was ranked the highest in this classic medical text, even superior to the well known ginseng.
In the “Compendium of Materia Medica” (Ben Cao Gang Mu), which contains hundreds of natural medicines the Chinese have used for thousands of years, celebrated physician and naturalist Li Shi Zhen (1518~1593) described the benefits of Reishi:
It benefits the life energy, or "qi" of the heart, repairing the chest area and benefiting those with a knotted and tight chest. Taken over a long period of time, agility of the body will not cease, and the years are lengthened to those of the Immortal Fairies
Over the ages, Reishi has become ingrained in Oriental art and culture because of its prestigious status in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Since the first Chinese dynasty, paintings, embroideries, buildings, and sculptures of the gods and immortals have depicted Reishi as a symbol of divinity, longevity and good fortune. Depictions of Reishi are displayed throughout the Forbidden City and the SummerPalace in Beijing as a testimony to its value, and the mushroom’s distinctive shape was a favorite ornamental design feature used by royalty and the wealthy. Even the traditional scepter of the emperors of China was a stylized Reishi, called a "Ru Yi". Reishi was further immortalized as the ultimate healing substance and spiritual herb of China in the classic Chinese fairy tale, "The White Snake", wherein a mystical heroine stole a magical Reishi plant from the gods to save the life of her human lover. The celestial battle for the Reishi rivaled the battles portrayed in Homer's Iliad and is a story known by virtually every Chinese person.
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