Boletus lucidus (Curtis) Polyporus lucidus (Murrill) Ganoderma lucidum, commonly known as the reishi, varnished conk, or ling chih,[2] is a red-colored species of Ganoderma with a limited distribution in Europe and parts of China, where it grows on decaying hardwood trees.

[1] These genetic analyses tested species concept hypotheses to determine how the Ganoderma taxa are related.

Samples labeled as G. lucidum were found in five of the six clades, showing the extent of the confusion around species identification.

A 2015 phylogeny study revealed that the global diversity of the Ganoderma species included three supported major lineages.

[10] These results agree with several of the earlier works focusing mostly on morphology, geography and host preference, but with evidence separating the European and North American taxa.

[17][18] In the southern region of Vietnam, G. lucidum can be seen growing on dầu lim trees on Phu Quoc Island.

[3] Due to its medicinal properties and other mentioned benefits, the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum is currently under study in Europe, although it remains in the early stages.