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Reishi


ladyflyfsh

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  • 9 months later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Can someoneweigh in on whether the following images are Ganoderma lucidum or if they are Ganoderma tsugae? Here are a few pictures,all of which where taken at the same few trees, but at different times in the season, and over the span of a few years. Mostof them are a dark brick like red, and seem to be almost varnished...but you'll see that growing among them are ones that look a lot more like g. lucidum too. And then this season, the same tree that produced many dark red specimin the previous two seasons, this season put out ones that have the classic lighter yellow ring around the edge that makes me now think they're G.lucidum after all. Anyone have any thoughts?

Here's the pics:

My dog next to some G. lucidum or maybe G. tsugae?

close up of the same group of mushrooms pictured above

This year they came up looking different though...

when they got older they looked like hemlock varnish shelf again tho...

Here's a close up of one of the younger specimin from this year on the same group of trees as above. Seems like G.lucidum here

Which do you think it is? Could the same trees be putting out both?

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I hiked back up to where those pictures where taken, and while there are many hardwoods present, there are also a ton of hemlocks, and the tree I found all those specimin on seems to be a hemlock. So I guess all the ones I pictured then must be G.tsugae then? Uncanny how close in appearance they are when they are young! Or at least the ones I found...

Do G. tsugae have similar uses as G. lucidum? I'm gonna have to do some reading! A quick scan of wikipedia states that yes this mushroom also has medicinal properties and there is actually a debate as to which one contains more medicinal properties. I have a few specimin that I saved, which dried out very nicely. I might try to perform an alcohol extraction on them to experiment with it a bit. Has anyone had an experience working with either G. tsugae or G. lucidum as a medicinal or tonic?

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As I understand it, recent research points to G. lucidum and G tsugae as being very similar species. I have made tea from each species, and the taste is the same. Reishi tea seems to not agree with me, but I think I may have made it too strong... or maybe I consumed too much at one time. I had a chance to speak with an acupuncturist/herbalist who was trained in China, and she recommended making two batches from the same handful of dried Ganoderma... using two different equally sized waters. Then combine the strong (first batch) with the weaker version. I tried this, but it still seemed to bother my stomach just a bit.

Most of my experimentation of this type has been with G. tsuage, as this species is common in our local hemlock woods (unless the "Pleasing Beetles" get them!).

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All photos G. tsuage.

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  • 9 months later...

The presence of a "varnished" stem suggests this is an example of some Ganoderma species. Ganoderma have brown interior flesh. But this one appears to be old, and I have no idea about whether the interior flesh fades. Besides G. tsugae, G. lucidum, and G. applanatum there are a few other less-common species of Ganoderma.

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I have been drinking my tea made from tsugae reishi this week and am not sure if it is prepared right. Its actually not to bad with a teaspoon of honey and reminds me a lot of green tea. I estimated about 9 tbsp. (figuring 1 tbsp.=3 grams) of 1/4" cubes of mushroom to 2 galllons of water. Roughly 27 grams to 32 cups of water or 3.4g to each 4 cups. I brought it to a boil then let it soak over night then simmered it for 2 hours.

A 12oz. mugfull gave me a little indigestion the first night, a little less the second and didn't bother me at all on the third night. Probably best drank after a meal until you get used to it.

Does this sound like a reliable way to prepare it? Just curious if anyone else prepares it better. It didn't seem very bitter as I expected, but then again I drink black tea straight sometimes. :eyebrow:

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have been collecting tons of reishi in SW Florida. I just picked another huge haul yesterday. I think this time I will make a double tincture with some of it. I have made the tea in a crock pot in the past. I cook it low and slow for overnight, just steeping the reishi in the water. It doesn't take much to make tea and is quite strong and bitter. I personally prefer chaga tea but I'd like to try the tincture this time. I usually sell my reishi instead of using it since I do prefer chaga but I have lots.

post-1-0-60997500-1349723748_thumb.jpg post-1-0-53773500-1349723757_thumb.jpg (Ganoderma lucidum)

post-1-0-06423900-1349723801_thumb.jpg post-1-0-66603100-1349723860_thumb.jpg

post-1-0-45297100-1349723862_thumb.jpg post-1-0-88702400-1349723863_thumb.jpg (Ganoderma oregonense)

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  • 2 months later...

Does anyone know a reference as to extraction process for Reishi? I understand that some of the medicinals are water soluable and some are not so in order to get a full spectrum more than one type of extraction may be necessary. I am thinking about trying some extraction that can be placed into veggie caps.

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  • 6 months later...

A couple of young ones I found under a hemlock hedge last weekend. I'm hoping to find more soon and give it to my dad to help with his frail health.

Can anyone provide some growth patterns for G. tsugae or G. lucidum? i.e. how long does it take it to mature, etc.

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  • 5 weeks later...

The ones I find in FL take a few months to fully mature and some like the little ones you have on the bottom photo never get any bigger than that. The ones that grow from the ground on buried wood seem to stay smaller than the ones growing on trees. Just my observance. I usually see them beginning in June and they are bigger and about ready to pick in August.

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I found some ganoderma camping up by Carter's Lake in N. Georgia this past week. The other side of the tree had some small ones with yellow bands. I didn't harvest them because I haven't worked up the courage to drink tea made from them yet. These were growing on hardwood.

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