Reishi mushroom, or Ling Zhi, belongs to polypore mushrooms. This plant has one more name in Latin – Ganoderma lucidum - which is translated as "shiny skin" and refers to the Reishi caps, which have six colour variations – from reddish-orange to black. Reishi mushroom is kidney-shaped and has approximately 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. It grows wild on oak and plum tree stumps and logs in dark and damp forests of Asia, Europe, South America, and the United States.
Being practically unknown in the West, Reishi mushroom has a long history in Chinese and Japanese medicine. It has been used for more than 2,000 years to treat liver problems, asthma, cancer, high blood pressure, etc. Reishi mushroom was believed to have superior power, giving strength and long life. Great Chinese emperors and Japanese royalty drank tea of the mushrooms for vitality and longevity.