Ganoderma oregonense Murrill is the large conifer-dwelling laccate Ganoderma of western North America, the western counterpart of the eastern hemlock reishi G. tsugae. It forms massive, shiny, reddish-brown brackets on dead conifers and has notably large spores. It is a white-rot decomposer of fir, hemlock, spruce and Douglas-fir, sometimes entering living trees through wounds.
Primarily medicinal; prepared as tea or extract like other reishi. Young, tender growing margins have been reported as edible (Stamets), but the fruit body is generally too tough to eat.
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Habitat
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Saprotroph on dead conifer trunks and stumps (Abies, Tsuga, Picea, Pseudotsuga).
Distribution
Western North America, from California to Alaska.
Characteristics
Cap: 10-100 cm, sessile or with a short lateral stalk, laccate red-brown to mahogany with a white to yellow margin when growing. Pores: white, bruising brown. Flesh: thick, soft, whitish to creamy. Spores: brown, large for the genus, about 11-16 x 6-8 um.
