• UGI USER
  • Oct 31, 2023
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New Mushroom Species

Why in the news?

A new mushroom species has been discovered in the Western Ghats, specifically on the campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Genus Candolleomyces

  • Researchers identified and described the new mushroom species belonging to the genus Candolleomyces.
  • This new species has been named Candolleomyces albosquamosus, with “albosquamosus” referring to the white woolly scale-like structures on its cap.
  • The mushroom is delicate and grows to a height of about 58 mm.
  • Previously, seven species of the genus Psathyrella in India have now been reclassified as Candolleomyces.
  • The discovery highlights the remarkable biodiversity of the Western Ghats and encourages the study of fungal diversity in the region.
  • This discovery is significant because there are only 35 known species in the Candolleomyces genus worldwide.