The Lingzhi naming dilemma: Overlooked and long-forgotten names threaten nomenclatural stability

The Lingzhi mushroom is a species of great economic importance that has been extensively researched, yet there is still no consensus on its scientific name. In a recent article based on new taxonomic results, the authors argued for using the name Ganoderma sichuanense instead of G. lingzhi, which has been widely accepted by the scientific community in the last ten years. However, replacing a stable and popular name based on current results may exacerbate the crisis surrounding the correct name of this species. Therefore, my aim is to review the situation with respected to the name G. sichuanense. To achieve this, it is necessary to carefully review whether it is indeed the earliest valid scientific name that can be applied to the Lingzhi mushroom. Moreover, in the interest of nomenclatural stability, we must consider whether the earliest published basionym is the best choice for the scientific name of this economically and culturally significant fungal species. The urgent clarification of this issue is necessary because only a widely accepted name has the possibility to compete with the still widely but incorrectly used name G. lucidum in many publications and on medicinal products.