ISSN 2456-7876
Archive of Life Science and Environment (Arch. Life Sci. & Env.) 1 (2): 51-56
First report on four Macrofungi from Meghalaya, North East India Rajesh Kumar1*, Krishna Giri1 and Shailesh Pandey2
1Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat-785 001, Assam, India
2 Forest Research Institute, Dehradun- 248001, Uttarakhand, India
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
A stra t: The prese t stud as u dertake to e plore the ild ushroo di ersit of Me- ghala a, Northeast I dia. E te si e field sur e s ere o du ted i the e tire state, a d the ild ushroo s ere olle ted fro differe t forest t pes. A total of 138 ushroo spe ies ere ide tified o the asis of orphologi al a d i ros opi hara teristi s. Four fu gal spe- ies, iz., A a ita isporigera G. F Atki so , A a ita ag iverru ata Thiers & A irati , Corti arius a i us Fr. a d La aria affi is (G.F. Atki so ere fou d as e re ords fro Bagh ara Reser e Forest, Meghala a. Though, these a rofu gi ha e ee des ri ed fro other parts of the orld, ho e er, to the est of our k o ledge these are ei g reported for the first ti e fro I dia.
Keyword: Bagh ara Reser e Forest, A. isporigera, A. Mag iverru ata, C. Ca i us, L. affi is
Introduction lies between 250 47′ to 260 10′ N latitude and 890 45′ to 920 45′ E longitude. The altitude ranges from 50 to Macrofungi (Mushrooms) play an important role in 1960 m (m.s.l.). The mean maximum and mean mini- fulfilling nutritional and medicinal requirements in mum temperature of the state is 24.3 0C and 17.8 0C, many counties, and serve as a livelihood source of respectively. The average annual rain fall in Meghala- forest dwelling communities. The wild edible mush- ya is about 1200 mm. The floral diversity of Meghala- rooms are one of the most important natural resources ya is well reputed for its richness and abode of many having high nutritional and economic value (Khaund endemic species. In Northeast India, the wild edible and Joshi, 2013). In addition to nutritional, medicinal fungal resources and ethno mycological knowledge on and economic importance, mushrooms also play a sig- wild mushrooms of Nagaland have been documented nificant role in leaf litter decomposition and nutrient earlier (Kumar et al., 2013; 2014). In addition to this, recycling in the forest ecosystems. After decomposi- micro- and macrofungal diversity in Langol herbal tion, the remaining substrate is utilized by other plants garden, Manipur has also been documented (Kumar et and animals for their growth and development. al., 2015a). Recently Kumar et al. (2015b) reported 23 Out of 1.5 million fungi in the world, only 50 % have unrecorded macro fungi from Meghalaya, and Khaund been characterized till date (Manoharachary et al., & Joshi (2013) documented ethno mycological aspects 2005). Among the known mushrooms, approximately of wild edible macrofungi of Khasi tribes, Meghalaya. 850 species have been recorded from India. Many of The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in the west Garo Hills them have been used in food and folk medicine since and Balphakaram National Park in South Garo Hills time immemorial (Thatoi and Singdevsachan, 2014). are considered as most biodiversity rich sites in Me- North-eastern region of India is among the 34 biodi- ghalaya. The old native forests of Garo Hills in west- versity hot spots of the world. The region is ecological- ern Meghalaya support most diverse and luxuriant ly represented by the Eastern Himalayan Biome and tropical vegetation conditions in the world (Kumar et rich in endemic flora and fauna. The state of Meghala- al., 1982). Baghmara reserve forest is a part of ya comprises Khasi Hills, Garo Hills, Jaintia Hills, and Balphakaram National Park in South Garo Hills which Ri-Bhoi, districts covering an area of 22,720 sq Km, harbour rich floral diversity of the state (Figure 1). All Rights Reserved © Navya Society of Higher Education, www.archiveofsciences.com
Rajesh Kumar et al. /Arch. Life Sci. & Env. 1 (2): 51-56(2017) ISSN 2456-7876 Most of the forest dwelling tribal communities of Me- Diagnostic characters: Cap- whitish cream, convex ghalaya utilize wild mushrooms as a source of food. to bell-shaped, sticky, 2.7–9.5 cm, Gills- free, white, Due to lack of knowledge about wild mushrooms, close, Stipe- white, tapering, flaring to an enlarged many people die every year as a result of poisonous base, 5.3–12x 4–2 cm long, white sack like volva en- mushroom consumption. Therefore, present investiga- casing the base, Flesh- white, Smell- unpleasant, tion was carried out to explore the wild mushroom Spores- 6.5–9.5 x 6–8.5 µm (LxB), smooth, globose to diversity, to document ethno mycological knowledge, subglobose, amyloid, Basidia 2 spored, Xanthochoric and to create awareness about edible and inedible wild reaction- execute bright yellow on cap surface in mushrooms found in the state. KOH (Figure 2 A–D). Substratum: Found on leaf litter under mixed forest (date of survey and collection: 07/07/2016) Accession No.ML/RFRI/00275 Jorhat, Assam.
2. Amanita magniverrucata , Thiers & Ammirati, Mycotaxon 15: 161 (1982) Taxonomic position Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Agaricales/ Amanitaceae/Amanita/A. magniverrucata Diagnostic characters: Cap- white to cream, broad, convex, expanding to nearly plane, margin inrolled, incurved after maturity with 7–14 cm length, Gills- free, close, white to cream, Stipe- white, dry, striate solid, fleshy, the base was typically bulbous with a root-like extension of 5–8x 2.5 cm, partial veil mem- branous, thin, fragile, volva consisting of one to sever- al scaly rings. Universal veil appears to arise from the context of the pileus without interposal of a pileipellis, Flesh- white to tan, Smell- unpleasant and strong. Spores- 8.5–10.5 x 6–7 µm, ovoid, thin-walled, amy- loid; clamps are infrequently found on bases of 4 spored basidia, Xanthochoric reaction- execute nega- tive colour on cap surface in KOH (Figure 3 A-D). Figure 1: Surveyed locations in Baghmara Reserve Substratum: Found on leaf litter under mixed forest Forest, South Garo Hills, Meghalaya (Date of survey and collection: 07/07/2016). Accession No.ML/RFRI/00274, Jorhat, Assam. Materials and Methods Extensive field surveys were conducted during mon- 3. Cortinarius caninus (Fr.) Fr., Epicrisis Systematis soon season, and the fruiting bodies of macrofungi Mycologici: 285 (1838) were collected from different habitats. The collected Taxonomic position samples were brought to the laboratory for morpholog- Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Agaricales/ ical and microscopic examination. The collected sam- Cortinariaceae/Cortinarius/ C. caninus ples were preserved in Formalin- Acetic Acid (FAA) Diagnostic characters: Cap- creamy brown, convex, solution (30:70 v/v), and deposited in the mushroom domed, at first buff with a hint of violet, dry, smooth, 3 collection of Mycology Laboratory, Forest Protection –9cm across, Gills- adnate, rusty brown, Stem- violet Division, Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, As- near the apex at first, then white with delicate bands, sam. fibrous and bulbous and measures from 5–10 cm in height, with a diameter of 0.7–1.3 cm. Flesh pallid, Results and Discussion with violet near the stem apex, Smell- slightly mild, A total of 138 mushroom species were identified from Spores- 7–6 x 6–7µm (LxB), subglobose, roughened, different forest types. The following four species are Cheilo and pleurocystidia absent, Xanthochoric reac- being described first time from India. tion- execute pink colour on cap surface in KOH (Figure 4 A–D). 1. Amanita bisporigera G.F. Atk., Botanical Gazette Substratum- Broad leaf litter under mixed forest (date Crawfordsville 41 (3): 348 (1906) of survey and collection: 07/07/2016) Taxonomic position Accession No.ML/RFRI/00135 Jorhat, Assam. Fungi/Basidiomycota/Agaricomycetes/Agaricales/ Amanitaceae/Amanita/A. bisporigera
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Rajesh Kumar et al. /Arch. Life Sci. & Env. 1 (2): 51-56(2017) ISSN 2456-7876
A A
B B
C C
D D
Figure-2. A-C Fruit body & D, Spores of A. bisporig- Figure 3 A-C Fruit body & D Spores of A. Magni- verrucata era
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Rajesh Kumar et al. /Arch. Life Sci. & Env. 1 (2): 51-56(2017) ISSN 2456-7876
A A
B B
C C
D D
Figure-4 A-C Fruit body & D, Spores of C. caninus Figure 5 A-C Fruit body in different views & D Spores of L. Affinis
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Rajesh Kumar et al. /Arch. Life Sci. & Env. 1 (2): 51-56(2017) ISSN 2456-7876 4. Laccaria affinis (Singer) Bon, Docums Mycol. Acknowledgment 13(No. 51): 49 (1983) The authors are thankful to the Indian Council of For- estry Research and Education, Dehradun for financial Taxonomic position support. Fungi/Basidiomycota/Homobasidiomycetes/ Tricholomatales/Tricholomataceae/Laccaria/L. affin- References is Diagnostic characters: Cap - hemispherical to flat Khaund, P. & Joshi, S.R. (2013) Wild edible Macro- or convex, slightly depressed in the centre; ocher- fungal species consumed by the Khasi tribes of Me- orange to reddish-pink colour, smooth 2–4.2 cm ghalaya, India. Ind J Nat Prod Res. 4(2): 197–204. surface, hygrophanous, striped border. Gills: pink colour, adnate and fleshy, Stipe: cylindrical, 4.5x9 Khoshoo, T.N. (1992). Plant diversity in the Himalaya: cm long, pink colour, base covered with whitish my- Conservation and utilization. Govind Ballabh Pant celium. Flesh: pale pink. Smell: mild. Spores: 7. 5– Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, 10 × 8–10 µm, globose to subglobose with 1.5 μm Kosi, Almora, India. tall spines. Cheilocystidia laminated wire free, fila- mentous to subclavate 50 x 7.5 µm. Basidia tetra- Kumar, A., Gupta, A.K., Marcot, B.G., Saxena, A., sporic 40 x 45 µm. Xanthochoric reaction: execute Singh, S.P. & Marak, T.T.C. (1982) Management of negative colour on cap surface in KOH (Figure 5 A- forests in India for biological diversity and forest D). productivity, a new perspective. Volume IV: Garo Substratum- Found on leaf litter under mixed forest Hills Conservation Area (GCA). Wildlife Institute of (Date of survey and collection 07/07/2016) India Long-term Changes (eds. Leigh Jr, EG, Rand AS Accession No.ML/RFRI/00153,Jorhat, Assam Windsor DM) Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington Meghalaya harbours rich mushroom diversity in DC. different forest types of the state. In the present study, 138 mushrooms were collected and identified Kumar, R., Bisht, N.S., Mishra, G., Kalita, K. & based on the morphological characteristics. Ethno- Bezbarua, R.N. (2015a). Micro- and macrofungal di- mycological knowledge of tribal communities on versity in Langol herbal garden Manipur, India. Curr wild mushroom utilization was also documented Life Sci. 1(1): 24–34. through market surveys and questionnaires. Exten- sion programmes were also conducted in different Kumar, R., Pandey, S., Giri, K., Mishra, G. & Rishi, R. places to create awareness about correct identifica- (2015b). Unrecorded macrofungi from the Narpuh tion of edible and poisonous mushrooms. As a result reserve forest of Meghalaya, India. Curr Life Sci. 1(3): of morphological and microscopic examinations, the 118–123. above described four mushroom species were found new from India. Several reports on higher fungi and Kumar, R., Pandey, S., Tapwal, A., Rishi, R., Giri, K. mushrooms have been published from India, which & Mishra, G. (2014) Ethnomycological Knowledge includes North-western region, Eastern Himalaya on Wild Mushrooms by tribes of Mokokchung, Naga- and North-eastern hilly areas. North western region land, North East India. The J Ethnobiol Trad Med. of India includes Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and (122): 890–899. Gujarat while the Eastern Himalaya includes the northern parts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Kumar, R., Tapwal, A., Pandey, S., Borah, R.K., Bo- Sikkim. However, eastern hilly areas include Naga- rah, D.P. & Borgohain, J. (2013). Macro-fungal diver- land, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura sity and nutrient content of some edible mushrooms of (Khoshoo, 1992). Verma et al. (1987) has also de- Nagaland, India. Nusantara Biosci. (5): 1–7. scribed fleshy fungal flora from Manipur and Me- ghalaya belonging to the family Auriculariaceae, Manoharachary, C., Sridhar, K., Singh, R., Adholeya, Clavariaceae, Cantharellaceae, Tricholomataceae, A., Suryanarayanan, T.S., Rawat, S. & Johri, B.N. Pluteaceae, Paxillaceae, Cortinariaceae, Cycoper- (2005). Fungal biodiversity: Distribution, conservation daceae, and Sclerodermataceae of Basidiomycotina and prospecting of fungi from India. Curr Sci. (89): 58 and Halvellaceae of Ascomycotina. –71. The present study suggests that in future, more field surveys may be conducted to explore wild mush- Thatoi, H. and Singdevsachan, S.K. (2014) Diversity, room diversity of other parts of Northeast India for nutritional composition and medicinal potential more new discoveries.
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Rajesh Kumar et al. /Arch. Life Sci. & Env. 1 (2): 51-56(2017) ISSN 2456-7876 of Indian mushrooms: A review. African J Biotechnol. 13(4): 523–545. Verma, R.N., Singh, G.B. & Bilgrami, K.S. (1987). Fleshy fungal flora of N.E.H. India- I. Manipur and Meghalaya. Indian Mush. Sci. 2: 414–421.
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