Ganoderma multipileum, the correct name for 'G. lucidum' in tropical Asia

Ganoderma lucidum (generic type), originally described from England, has been reported worldwide. In the Orient, an economically important fungus commonly known as 'ling-zhi' or 'chi-zhi' for more than 2000 years, has also been named G. lucidum. However, the identity of the Oriental fungus has been questioned in recent years. Earlier molecular studies Suggested that G. lucidum sensu stricto may be restricted to Europe and that 'G. lucidum' in Asia consists of at least two distinct species, one represented by material from mainland China and one by tropical Asian collections. This study attempts to clarify the identity of 'G. lucidum' in tropical Asia, with special emphasis on wild collections from Taiwan. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) of related species and strains were sequenced, and phylogenctic analyses were conducted. The results confirmed that G. lucidum is a name mistakenly applied to Oriental collections. The forgotten name Ganoderma multipileum, presented over half a century ago from Taiwan, was found in this study as the earliest valid name for 'G. lucidum' known from tropical Asia