Ganoderma
These mushrooms were once grouped with the Polypores - take a look!
First stage day 1 - day 5
The mushroom hyphae emerge from a stump and begin to form a cap.
Second Stage day 10- day 20
The fruiting body enlarges and the characteristic varnished surface of the cap begins to appear.
Here is a picture of Ganoderma lucidum under cultivation in Japan and a specimen that emerged near a temple and was revered for a spell before being harvested and taken indoors to a shrine. A monk retrieved this specimen from the shrine and planted it in the place he originally found it so that I might take this picture. High carbon dioxide concentrations cause stem elongation in these species.
This little growing operation was going on just down the road from me in my suburban home in Ibaragi-ken, Japan. The mushrooms were in well ventilated hoop house greenhouses and did not grow elongated stems. People paid the equivalent of $100 for a kilogram sized wad of mycelia and fruiting body, usually dressed up in a pretty floral arrangement.
Ganoderma
These photos show the growth and development of a Ganoderma lucidum that was growing on a California pepper tree. Note the size when fully grown. The presence of yellow on the specimen suggests it may be a related species, G. collinatus.
