Antrodia cinnamomea has an eventful nomenclatural history which involves a heated debate in the academic community. It is worthwhile to give a brief account of the nomenclatural history of this
very impressive endemic fungus of Taiwan.
1. Professor Zang Mu and Professor Su Ching-Hua(1990) published in ACTA BOTANICA YUNNANICA a thesis in which they described a new species Ganoderma comphoratum, which
they considered to be in Genus Ganoderma.
2. Dr. Chang Tun-tschu and Mr. Chou Wen-neng (1995)described in their thesis published in Mycological Research a new Antrodia species which they named Antrodia cinnamomea.
3. After reviewing the type specimens of the two new species, Dr. Wu Sheng-hua found both were Antrodia cinnamomea and pointed out the type specimen in the first thesis was contaminated
with spores of Ganoderma lucidum and that is the reason why the Antrodia cinnamomea was classified into Ganoderma. In light of this, Dr. Wu Shenghua and Dr. Ryvarden (1997) jointly
published a thesis and reclassified the species which was originally misclassified into Genus Ganoderma back to the more reasonable Genus Antrodia. Since the first published name has
priority to be selected according to ICBN, the fungus’s species name remains unchanged and its scientific name is changed to Antrodia camphorata.
4. Dr. Chang Tun-tschu and Mr.Chou Wen-neng (2004) proposed in Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica a suggestion that since what Professor Zang Mu and Professor Su Ching-Hua discribed
in their publication in 1990 was Ganoderma lucidum rather than Antrodia cinnamomea, the scientific name of the species should be changed back to Antrodia cinnamomea.
5. Dr. Wu Sheng-hua (2004) published a thesis in Fung. Sci. pointing out results of the LSU rDNA sequence analysis of Antrodia cinnamomea revealed that the genetic relationship between
Antrodia cinnamomea and Genus Antrodia was not close. Therefore he proposed that the fungus shall be a new genus of Family Polyporaceae which he named Taiwanofungus. Moreover,
based on the specific name Antrodia cinnamomea (1990), he gave a new scientific name Taiwanofungus camphoratus to the fungus.
6. Yu Zhihe et al. (2010) published their genealogical study results in Botanical Studies, supporting Genus Taiwanofungus as an independent genus.
7. Dr. Paul Kirk (2010) after reviewing the nomenclatural history of the fungus according to International Code of Botanical Nomenclature(ICBN) supposed that the fungus’ correct scientific
name should be Taiwanofungus camphoratus (Ganoderma comphoratum, Antrodia camphorata and Antrodia cinnamomea are all synonyms)
8. After reviewing the nomenclatural history of the fungus according to ICBN, Dr. Joost Stalpers (2010) of Myco-Bank supposed that the fungus’ correct scientific name should be Taiwanofungus
camphoratus (Ganoderma comphoratum, Antrodia camphorata and Antrodia cinnamomea are all synonyms).
9. In 2010, the Bioresource Collection and Research Center (BCRC) under Food Industry Research and Development Institute(FIRDI) chose Antrodia cinnamomea for the fungus' scientific name.
At present, a lot of efforts remain to be made to achieve a consensus on the fungus nomenclature.
In the meantime, new applications of the fungus in health foods and new drug R&D keep emerging, and it is beyond all doubts that the fungus will secure a position in Taiwan as a national treasure
regardless of which name is adopted in the end.