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Collections identified as ‘G. lucidum’ tested in this molecular analysis were separated into three clades: A, B, and D (Figure 2). The Asian collections assigned to G. lucidum (clades A and B) were distantly related to G. lucidum from Europe, the type locality (clade D). This suggests that G. lucidum is a name mistakenly applied to Asian collections. Furthermore, ‘G. lucidum’ in Asia represents at least two distinct species, one from Taiwan, India and the Philippines, and another from mainland China and Japan.

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Ganoderma multipileum, a species originally known only based on the type specimen from lowland Taiwan, morphologically resembles Taiwanese ‘G. lucidum.’

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Chang and Chen (1986) stated that the culture from a specimen with multiple pilea, characteristic of G. multipileum, is compatible with that of the Taiwanese ‘G. lucidum’ without multiple pilea; and these cultures were also compatible with two Indian isolates determined as G. lucidum (ATCC 32471 and ATCC 32472). Therefore, they concluded that G. multipileum is a synonym of G. lucidum. However, those two Indian isolates were grouped together with materials of G. multiplileum (clade A), and clearly separated from European G. lucidum (clade D) in the ITS phylogenetic tree (Figure 2). Further, the morphology of cultivated fruiting bodies from one of these two Indian strains, BCRC 36123 (= ATCC 32471) is very similar to that of G. multipileum, and the preference for Leguminosae plants of Indian ‘G. lucidum’ (Sankaran et al., 2005) is also consistent with that of G. multipileum. In reality, those two isolates from India belongs to G. multipileum.

The material of ‘G. lucidum’ from the Philippines (JMM P93.1) is identical to those of G. multipileum from Taiwan in ITS sequence except for one or two singlebase substitutions, and embedded in the clade A where Taiwanese G. multipileum was nested (Figure 2). We redetermined this Philippine strain

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‘Ganoderma lucidum’ from mainland China and Japan formed a distinct clade (clade B) separate from clade A where G. multipileum was nested (Figure 2). The morphology of ‘Ganoderma lucidum’ from Japan examined in this study differs from G. multipileum by having moderately echinulate basidiospores and a paler context. Currently, the true identity of this fungus in clade B is still unknown.

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Ganoderma, a genus of approximately 214 described species has been deemed to be in taxonomic chaos. The difficulties stem from the large numbers of synonymies, widespread misuse of names, typification problems and a paucity of reliable morphological characters. In Australia, all of these problems are represented and the genus is in need of revision. In this study six species of Ganoderma were identified among several collections. A new species, G. steyaertanum  sp. nov., is described from Australian and Indonesian material. This species has been commonly mistaken for G. lucidum, a species which is probably restricted to Europe and from which G. steyaertanum  is genetically distinct. The remaining species were determined to be G. boninense, G. cupreum, G. incrassatum (a name which has not recently featured in literature), G. australe and G. weberianum. All were verified against type material except G. australe, which is in need of neotypification as the type is lost. G. tornatum, a widely accepted synonym, may take precedence; however, we have been unable to examine the type for verification. Based on morphology, G. polymorphum was identified as a synonym of G. cupreum. On the basis of morphology and previously published rDNA sequence studies, G. microsporum was considered a synonym of G. weberianum. A seventh species, G. colossum, has also been reported from Australia; however the specimen was not available for verification in this study.

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Ganoderma multipileum, commonly known as lingzhi or chizhi, is a species of polypore mushroom found in tropical Asia. It has been used as a medicinal mushroom for over 2000 years. Formerly known as Ganoderma lucidum, phylogenetic analyses published in 2009 revealed that G. lucidum is primarily a European species, and that the name has been incorrectly applied to Oriental collections.

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Taken from the same article that this thread is based on...

What I would like to know, is where have the strains of "G. lucidum" that are in circulation originated from? For example, Lipa has a couple of clones he made being circulated at the moment. The one I have from him fruits in summer, suggesting it is the tropical species from Asia G. multipileum and not the temperate species from Europe, the real G. lucidum. I assume that either species would be introduced to the USA? If what we are growing originated from Asia and/or fruits in tropical conditions, I think we should cease referring to the species as G. lucidum.

I am travelling in India at the moment and have found what could be considered G. lucidum, but fruiting in temperate conditions and also found what would have formerly been considered G. lucidum, but fruiting in tropical conditions, thus suggesting it could be G. multipileum or G. tropicum.

The species fruiting in temperate conditions:


However, unless the above species is introduced to India, not even it could be truly considered G. lucidum. Also, this species was very small, with the pilei averaging around 5cm at most.

The species I've been finding in tropical conditions that may be G. multipileum/G. tropicum, is much larger than the species I posted above, sometimes over 30cm tall and has a branching stipe. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of it uploaded at the moment.