A new species of large fungus called Anthracophyllum sinense has been discovered in Jiangshan City, Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. The discovery was recently published in the international journal Archives of Microbiology.
Staff from the Jiangshan Sub-bureau are conducting a biodiversity survey.
Zhou Xiang, a staff member of the Ecological Environment Bureau's Jiangshan Sub-bureau, informed The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) on February 23 that during a biodiversity survey and assessment conducted in October 2021, the bureau discovered a large fungus suspected to be a new species at the Songkeng site in the Xianxia Ridge Nature Reserve. Through morphological (macroscopic and microscopic features) and phylogenetic analysis (ITS, LSU, TEF1-α sequences) of the samples, it was ultimately confirmed that the suspected new species is indeed a new global species.
According to reports, the fungus belongs to the genus Tricholoma in the Tricholomataceae family. Its cap is nearly fan-shaped or ear-shaped, brick-red when young, with radial grooves on the surface and slightly curled edges. The gills are sparse, with black carbonaceous particles between or on the inner surface of the gills. It does not have a sterile stem and grows on dead branches in broad-leaved mixed forests in summer and autumn. Currently, its toxicity is unknown, so consumption is not recommended.
Distribution Map of Tricholoma matsutake in China.
"Jiangshan City boasts a humid and rainy climate, providing favorable conditions for the growth and development of large fungi due to its excellent ecological environment and abundant biodiversity," said Zhou Xiang to The Paper. The Jiangshan Sub-bureau initiated a survey on the biodiversity conservation of large fungi in July 2021. Up to now, a total of 375 specimens of large fungi have been collected, with over 10,000 photographs of specimens and habitats taken, discovering 294 known species of large fungi. The discovery of Tricholoma matsutake marks another significant achievement following the discovery of four new Chinese record species of large fungi in Jiangshan City, including Boletus pseudoregius (Boletaceae), Clavulina cristata (Clavariaceae), Coprinopsis cinerea (Psathyrellaceae), and Cortinarius cyanites (Cortinariaceae).
