''Ganoderma tsugae'', also known as hemlock varnish shelf, is a flat

polypore Polypores, also called bracket or shelf fungi, are a morphological group of basidiomycete-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi that form large fruiting bodies called conks, which are typically woody, circular, shelf- or bracket-shaped, ...

mushroom of the genus ''

Ganoderma ''Ganoderma'' is a genus of polypore fungi in the family Ganodermataceae that includes about 80 species, many from tropical regions. They may be called ''shelf mushrooms'' or bracket fungi and have a high genetic diversity. ''Ganoderma'' can b ...

''.

Habitat

In contrast to ''

Ganoderma lucidum ''Ganoderma lucidum'', commonly known as the reishi, varnished conk, lacquered bracket, or ling chih, is a red-colored species of '' Ganoderma'' with a limited distribution in Europe and parts of China, where it grows on decaying hardwood trees. ...

'', to which it is closely related and which it closely resembles, ''G. tsugae'' tends to grow on

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

s, especially hemlocks.

Uses

Like ''G. lucidum'', ''G. tsugae'' is non-poisonous but generally considered inedible, because of its solid woody nature; however, teas and extracts made from its fruiting bodies supposedly allow medicinal use of the compounds it contains, although this is controversial within the scientific community. A hot water extraction or tea can be very effective for extracting the

polysaccharide Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long-chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with wat ...

s; however, an alcohol or alcohol/glycerin extraction method is more effective for the

triterpenoid Triterpenes are a class of terpenes composed of six isoprene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of three terpene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squalene, the pre ...

s. The fresh, soft growth of the "lip" of ''G. tsugae'' can be sautéed and prepared much like other edible mushrooms. While in this nascent stage it is not woody, it can still be tough and chewy.

Medicinal

Like ''G. lucidum'', ''G. tsugae'' is purported to have medicinal properties including use for dressing a skin wound. Though

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

analysis has begun to better differentiate between many closely related species of ''Ganoderma''; there is still disagreement as to which have the most medicinal properties. Natural and artificial variations (e.g. growing conditions and preparation) can also effect the species' medicinal value. Studies in mice have shown that ''G. tsugae'' shows several potential medicinal benefits including anti-tumor activity through some of the active polysaccharides found in ''G. tsugae''. ''G. tsugae'' has also been shown to significantly promote wound healing in mice as well as markedly increase the proliferation and migration of

fibroblast A fibroblast is a type of cell (biology), biological cell typically with a spindle shape that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework (Stroma (tissue), stroma) for animal Tissue (biology), tissues, and ...

cells in culture.Su CH, Sun CS, Juan SW et al
Development of fungal mycelia as skin substitutes: effects on wound healing and fibroblast
Biomaterials 1999; 20(1):61-68.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5521451 tsugae Dietary supplements Inedible fungi Medicinal fungi Fungus species