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.