The species identity of the widely cultivated Ganoderma, 'G. lucidum' (Ling-zhi), in China

Ling-zhi, a widely cultivated fungus in China, has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. Although the name 'Ganoderma lucidum', a species originally described from England, has been applied to the fungus, their identities are not the same. This study aims to clarify the identity...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-07, Vol.7 (7), p.e40857-e40857
Main Authors: Wang, Xin-Cun, Xi, Rui-Jiao, Li, Yi, Wang, Dong-Mei, Yao, Yi-Jian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Basidiomycota
Basidiospores
Biology
Collections
Data collection
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Diagnostic systems
DNA
DNA sequencing
DNA, Fungal
DNA, Intergenic
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
Fungi
Ganoderma
Ganoderma lucidum
Gene sequencing
Hyphae
Identification
Laboratories
Medicine
Molecular Sequence Data
Mushrooms
Nomenclature
Nucleotide sequence
Phylogeny
Reishi - classification
Reishi - genetics
Taxonomy
Traditional Chinese medicine
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Summary:Ling-zhi, a widely cultivated fungus in China, has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. Although the name 'Ganoderma lucidum', a species originally described from England, has been applied to the fungus, their identities are not the same. This study aims to clarify the identity of this medicinally and economically important fungus. Specimens of Ling-zhi from China (field collections and cultivated basidiomata of the Chinese 'G. lucidum'), G. lucidum from UK and other related Ganoderma species, were examined both morphologically and molecularly. High variability of basidioma morphology was found in the cultivated specimens of the Chinese 'G. lucidum', while some microscopic characters were more or less consistent, i.e. short clavate cutis elements, Bovista-type ligative hyphae and strongly echinulate basidiospores. These characters were also found in the holotype of G. sichuanense, a species originally described from Sichuan, China, and in recent collections made in the type locality of the species, which matched the diagnostic characters in the prologue. For comparison, specimens of closely related species, G. lucidum, G. multipileum, G. resinaceum, G. tropicum and G. weberianum, were also examined. DNA sequences were obtained from field collections, cultivated basidiomata and living strains of the Chinese 'G. lucidum', specimens from the type locality of G. sichuanense, and specimens of the closely related species studied. Three-gene combined analyses (ITS+IGS+rpb2) were performed and the results indicated that the Chinese 'G. lucidum' shared almost identical sequences with G. sichuanense. Based on both morphological and molecular data, the identity of the Chinese 'G. lucidum' (Ling-zhi) is considered conspecific with G. sichuanense. Detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations are provided in addition to discussion of nomenclature implications.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0040857