Ganoderma applanatum, commonly known as white rot fungus, thrives on both living and dead trees to produce long-lived conks or fruiting structures made of hard, woody material that are often seen throughout North American forests and suburbs throughout the year. A common sight throughout Asia for various medicinal purposes including cancer prevention; Ganoderma extracts have also long been employed in traditional Chinese medicine to treat conditions like rheumatic tuberculosis, indigestion, pain relief and phlegm.

Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) may be best known in the Western world for being a medicinal mushroom, but Artist’s Conk can also be equally effective. Found throughout temperate forests worldwide and used as folk medicine since millennia ago; known in China as an “Artist Bracket,” Artist’s Conk has long been revered for its ability to improve blood circulation, relieve rheumatic tuberculosis symptoms, soothe inflammation, reduce indigestion symptoms, start outdoor fires – even used to help heal autoimmune diseases like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthrinopathy.

This fungus boasts many health advantages that have been widely researched. It contains bioactive compounds with multiple health-promoting activities and antioxidant properties; extracts have even shown to have antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and hepatoprotective effects! Furthermore, its high level of glycoproteins could explain its antimicrobial activity.

One study examined the hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory properties of extracts derived from G. applanatum mushrooms using an animal model. When rainbow trout were fed 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg aqueous G. applanatum extract for 45 days their red and white blood cell counts, hematocrit, and hemoglobin levels all saw significant increases.

Another study examined the cytotoxic and proapoptotic effects of purified lectins from mushroom fruiting bodies on HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. These lectins have shown strong cytotoxicity against cancerous tumor cells while suppressing growth and proliferation.

Beyond its medicinal uses, this fungus is also widely believed to act as an effective natural antidote against poisonous mushrooms and plants such as Amanita phalloides and Amanita muscaria due to its extensive mycelia network which absorbs toxic substances while neutralizing them by binding to them and blocking their action.

Gorillas have been observed using its bright white surface covered with spore-releasing pores to self-medicate for injuries or illnesses by eating its bright white spore-releasing surface, making the mushroom an irresistible attraction for higher primates such as gorillas. Fungus attracts insects such as Agathomyia wankowiczii midges and Bolitotherus cornutus forked fungus beetles, both of which lay their eggs or live inside of it, providing shelter. Furthermore, Hirtodrosophila mycetophaga fly frequently feeds off this food source! This polypore has a fascinating life cycle and stands out from others by producing up to a decade’s worth of fruiting structures at once, much like tree rings do. The number of layers on each fruiting structure gives an indication of age; making it easy for humans to identify this species over others that could pose risks to human health.