Hemlock Varnish Shelf - Ganoderma tsugae
Shelf fungus with a shiny, varnished surface that has different, lumpy zones. White pores and flesh. This was a young specimen.
This is a type of reishi mushroom, which are considered to have medicinal properties. They have a long history of use in Chinese medicine. Reishi mushrooms can also be used to make tea and dye wool and other fabrics.
Habitat: Growing on a stump in a mixed forest; it grows on this stump every year
''Ganoderma tsugae'', also known as Hemlock varnish shelf, is a flat polypore mushroom of the genus ''Ganoderma''. In contrast to ''Ganoderma lucidum'', to which it is closely related and which it closely resembles, ''G. tsugae'' tends to grow on conifers, especially hemlocks. Like ''G. lucidum'', ''G. tsugae'' is said to have medicinal properties.
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