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Ganoderma species are conks, or bracket fungi, found with worldwide distribution. Conks are important wood-rotting fungi, are tough and woody, and perennial, persisting through the winter. 1 Lincoff GH The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. Alfred A. Knopf, New York1981: 439-462 Google Scholar , 2 Bassett IJ Crompton CW Parmalee JA An atlas of airborne pollen grains and common fungus spores of Canada. Printing and Publishing, Supply and Services Canada, Hull, Quebec1978: 288-290 Google Scholar Members of the family cause severe damage to living trees as well as structural timber, but are also important in the breakdown of fallen timber. 1 Lincoff GH The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. Alfred A. Knopf, New York1981: 439-462 Google Scholar , 2 Bassett IJ Crompton CW Parmalee JA An atlas of airborne pollen grains and common fungus spores of Canada. Printing and Publishing, Supply and Services Canada, Hull, Quebec1978: 288-290 Google Scholar , 3 Kendrick B The Fifth Kingdom. Mycologue Publications, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada1985: 79-81 Google Scholar Common North American species are G. applanatum, artist’s conk; G. lucidum, ling chih; and G. tsugae, hemlock varnish shelf—which commonly infests hemlock trees in Canada. 1 Lincoff GH The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. Alfred A. Knopf, New York1981: 439-462 Google Scholar , 3 Kendrick B The Fifth Kingdom. Mycologue Publications, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada1985: 79-81 Google Scholar The stalked form of G. lucidum is felt to be the Ling Chih of the ancient Chinese, the “mushroom of immortality” and “herb of spiritual potency.” 1 Lincoff GH The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. Alfred A. Knopf, New York1981: 439-462 Google Scholar It and G. tsugae are common ingredients of several present-day Chinese herbal formulae. 4 Chen M-L Lin B-F Effects of triterpenoid-rich extracts of Ganoderma tsugae on airway hyperactivity and Th2 responses in vivo. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2007; 143: 21-30 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar The latter has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects on airway responsiveness and attenuate Th2 responses in a murine asthma model, due to triterpenoid compounds. 4 Chen M-L Lin B-F Effects of triterpenoid-rich extracts of Ganoderma tsugae on airway hyperactivity and Th2 responses in vivo. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2007; 143: 21-30 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar