A novel species of macrofungal genus Cryptoporus was discovered in Shaanxi province. [Photo by Wang Yong/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A research team from the Shaanxi University of Technology has collected and identified a new species of the macrofungal genus Cryptoporus from the Qinling Mountains in northwestern China, according to a study published by Phytotaxa on Nov 21. It is the world's third known species of Cryptoporusare.
The study was a collective work by the School of Biological Science and Engineering of the Shaanxi University of Technology. With the joint efforts of Professor Xie Xiuchao, Wang Yong, and Song Yu, the specimens were confirmed as a new species and formally named C. qinlingensis sp. nov. based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence.
A novel species of macrofungal genus Cryptoporus was discovered in Shaanxi province. [Photo by Wang Yong/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The macrofungal genus Cryptoporus is renowned for its medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. It is valuable in treating respiratory conditions like tracheitis and asthma. Fungi of this genus are characterized by oblate fruiting bodies and blunt cap edges.
Since 2020, Professor Xie and his team have systematically investigated the wild fungi resources in the Qinling-Daba mountain range. They found the new specimens on Masson pines in Shaanxi's Hanzhong city during a routine survey on March 30, 2023, according to Xie.
Guo Yanqi contributed to this story.
A novel species of macrofungal genus Cryptoporus was discovered in Shaanxi province. [Photo by Wang Yong/For chinadaily.com.cn]
