Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 20: In a remarkable breakthrough for Indian mycology, Dr Faisal Mushtaq Kichloo, senior faculty of Botany in Higher Education Department , J&K along with Dr Anil Kumar, renowned mushroom expert from North India, have reported the first-ever occurrence of the rare and unique mushroom species Amanita griseopantherina from India.
The finding, documented from various regions of Jammu and Kashmir, has been published by Springer in peer-reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The mushroom, belonging to the genus Amanita (family Amanitaceae), was previously known only from China. Its identification in the Indian subcontinent marks a new record for Indian biodiversity, enriching the scientific understanding of fungal diversity in the region.
For precise authentication, DNA isolation, amplification, and sequencing of the specimen were carried out at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram. Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the identity of the species, establishing its place within the clade of _Amanita griseopantherina .
The researchers highlighted that the species was collected from mixed coniferous forests .This record is highly significant for Indian mycology, as it opens new avenues for research on fungal diversity, conservation, and ecological interactions.
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