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burtonRebel


Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 1,222
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Ganoderma
#23870290 - 11/26/16 07:51 PM (7 years, 2 months ago) |
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Found growing on an unhealthy or dead live oak in California. Interested in finding medicinal fungus currently. Anybody have any ideas?
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Mrcloudy
Stranger than you.


Registered: 10/01/13
Posts: 2,889
Loc: Northeast US
Last seen: 3 months, 20 days
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A cross section would help, this is most likely one of two species though.
In California you have two Ganoderma species inhabiting hardwoods. Ganoderma polychromum, which has a range extending from Los Angeles to Vancouver Washington, it grows sessile (without a stem) when cut in half its flesh is brown with prominent stripes. And an as yet unnamed species that I have been studying that is closely related to Ganoderma lucidum. It typically has a stem, the stripes seen in G.polychromum may also occur in this species but they will be fainter and the flesh is a lighter color.
The two mushrooms are very similar and difficult to tell apart, the only reason I realized there was two different species is because I took a closer look at my Californian samples with a microscope and determined that half of my samples had a rough spore type which separate them from polychromum which has smooth spores.
California "lucidum" on the left, polychromum on the right.

If you cut it in half and the flesh is white it is G.oregonense growing on an atypical substrate. If you cut it in half and it is tan and has a stem I am interested in getting a sample for closer study. This particular specimen will be too old for any medicinal uses as you can see it is being attacked by bacteria leading to the discoloration, it should be fully red.
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10 different Ganoderma species from across the USA AMU MrCloudys guide to North American GanodermaUpdated A rough guide to North American Ganoderma species, with an emphasis on the laccate species.
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burtonRebel


Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 1,222
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That is really cool. I'll go back and see if I can find it again. If it has a stem, I'll collect it for you. How rare are these? Somewhere, I read lucidum only grows on 1/10,000 suitable trees
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Mrcloudy
Stranger than you.


Registered: 10/01/13
Posts: 2,889
Loc: Northeast US
Last seen: 3 months, 20 days
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That's not true at all but the interesting thing is that G.lucidum is a European species. But there is a population growing in the area around Salt lake City. And what ever this Californian species is, whether it is a variety of G.lucidum or a whole new species I don't know yet because I need more samples for DNA. But there is nothing like it in the rest of the US
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10 different Ganoderma species from across the USA AMU MrCloudys guide to North American GanodermaUpdated A rough guide to North American Ganoderma species, with an emphasis on the laccate species.
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burtonRebel


Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 1,222
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Going out now to try and retrieve it. Hopefully will update with pictures in a few hours. I'd be happy to help get you more specimens
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burtonRebel


Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 1,222
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Life happened and I couldn't get out there today, but have the day off tomorrow and will go early. Hopefully I can find more that are in good shape also. Any habitat tips? The one I found seems to be right above a drainage amongst mainly oak.
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burtonRebel


Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 1,222
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It does have a stem, and was growing out of a piece of decaying oak on the ground. There were two other fruiting bodies adjacent to this one on similar substrate. It was yellow/brown when I cut it. It also had lateral(?) stripes. Pretty sure this is that unknown species you speak of-it certainly matches your description.
I was thinking about what you wrote and how this particular species is unique to this region. I wonder if oak is its primary host or if it's more common on other trees. We do have a lot of live oak and "sudden oak death" effects our live oak population. It would be interesting to know if that's a variable. Not sure if this particular young oak was killed by that specific oak disease or not, but it looked like that could be possible.
Edited by burtonRebel (11/28/16 07:59 PM)
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