Fungalpedia – Note 3074, Ganoderma

 

Ganoderma P. Karst.

Citation when using this data: Senanayake IC et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank.

Classification: Polyporaceae, Polyporales, Incertae sedis, Agaricomycetes, Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota, Fungi.

Ganoderma represents the largest genus of Ganodermataceae with most of the species belonging to G. lucidum species complex. Ganoderma was established by Karsten (1881) based on a single species, Boletus lucidus Leyss. Members of this genus vary from annual or perennial, stipitate to sessile, distinctive laccate or non-laccate basidiomata (Moncalvo and Ryvarden 1997). Ganoderma is characterized by, double-walled basidiospores, and interwall pillars with non-truncate, globose to subglobose, verrucose to asperulate (smooth in only one species) basidiospores (Moncalvo and Ryvarden 1997; Ryvarden 2004; Hapuarachchi et al. 2019). Approximately, 200 species have been described under Ganoderma, of which 167 could fall under so-called subgenus Ganoderma (Moncalvo and Ryvarden 1997). While, it is difficult to determine the actual number of species, NCBI has recorded 495 associated taxa and in MycoBank, there are 423 taxa recorded.

Type species: Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst.

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Ganoderma.

 

References

Hapuarachchi KK, Karunarathna SC, Phengsintham P, Yang HD et al. 2019 – Ganodermataceae (Polyporales): Diversity in Greater Mekong Subregion countries (China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam). Mycosphere 10(1): 221–309.

Karsten PA. 1881 – Enumeralio boletinearum et polypore arum fennicarum, systemate novo dispositarum. Rev Mycol 3: 16–19.

Moncalvo JM, Ryvarden L. 1997 – A nomenclatural study of the Ganodermataceae Donk. Fungi Flora 10: 1–114.

Ryvarden L. 2004 – Neotropical polypores Part 1. Synopsis Fungorum 19: 1–229.

 

Entry by

Indunil C. Senanayake, Innovative Institute for Plant Health/ Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Haizhu District, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, China., Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand., Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, 3688, Nanhai Avenue, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China., University of L’Aquila, Department MeSVA, sect. Environmental Sciences, Via Vetoio, 67100 Coppito (AQ), Italy.

 

Published online 31 August 2026

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