Researchers have discovered and announced 5 new species of fungi for science belonging to the families Boletaceae and Entolomataceae in Vietnam’s National Parks and Nature Reserves.
Dr. Pham Thi Ha Giang, from the Tropical Ecology Institute, Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, in collaboration with scientists from the Komarov Botanical Institute (Russia), has identified and described 5 new species of fungi for science. Among them, 1 species belongs to the Boletaceae family (Tylopilus aurantiovulpinus) and 4 species belong to the Entolomataceae family, genus Entoloma (including Entoloma cycneum, Entoloma dichroides, Entoloma peristerinum, and Entoloma tadungense).
The Tylopilus aurantiovulpinus mushroom from the Boletaceae family. (Photo: Research team).
The scientists collected 69 mushroom samples at Tà Đùng National Park (Đắk Nông) and Kon Chư Răng Nature Reserve (Gia Lai). The results recorded 62 species of fungi belonging to 14 genera, across the two families Boletaceae and Entolomataceae; among them, 27 species belong to the Boletaceae family and 35 species belong to the Entolomataceae family (31 species from the genus Entoloma and 4 species from the genus Clitopilus).
Among the recorded species of Boletaceae and Entolomataceae, there are 3 edible species, 5 species with potential for edibility, 7 toxic species, and 7 species with the potential to be toxic.
The research team has classified the obtained mushroom species using morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular genetic research methods, clarifying and describing their biological characteristics. Currently, the team has established a catalog of 20 mushroom species from the Boletaceae family and the genus Entoloma, of which 12 species are newly recorded for the larger fungal flora of Vietnam.
New species Entoloma peristerinum. (Photo: Research team).
According to Dr. Giang, many large fungi are a potential food source, providing numerous bioactive compounds important for medicine, opening up opportunities for research and development of new herbal products. Large fungi also play an essential role in the ecosystem, participating in the decomposition of plant-derived organic matter, helping to regenerate nutrients for the soil and supporting plant growth.
However, the species of fungi in the Boletaceae and Entolomataceae families in Vietnam are threatened by a decline in primary forest areas in tropical regions. This is why Dr. Giang and colleagues are conducting research and proposing conservation measures for these species before they face extinction.
The research results also explain the diversity and distribution of fungi in these two families in the Central Highlands and provide new data and species for science and the fungal flora of Vietnam. This serves as a basis for proposing solutions and policies for the management and conservation of economically and environmentally valuable large fungi, according to the research team.
Dr. Pham Thi Ha Giang (front row, right) with colleagues conducting the research project. (Photo: Research team).
The research team has published 4 scientific papers (2 papers in international journals indexed in ISI and 2 papers in domestic scientific journals). In addition to reporting on the diversity of large fungi belonging to the Boletaceae and Entolomataceae families, the project also indicates that the main factors affecting the distribution of the two groups of species are temperature, humidity, and characteristics of the vegetation.
“These are factors that directly affect the diversity of large fungi in general and can hinder the growth and development of large fungi, preventing mycelium from forming fruiting bodies,” Dr. Giang stated.
