Candolleomyces albosquamosus

About Candolleomyces albosquamosus

• It is the new species belonging to the genus Candolleomyces which is relatively small genus with just 35 species recognised worldwide.
• It has white woolly scale-like structures on its pileus or cap.
• It grows to a height of just about 58 mm.
• The ‘cap,’ or pileus, of a mature Candolleomyces albosquamosus is 12 mm to 38.5 mm in diameter and bell-shaped.
• The honey-yellow coloured pileus turns brownish-gray or brownish-beige with age.
• The ‘stipe’(the stem or stalk) of the mushroom is white in colour and cylindrical.
• Habitats of Candolleomyces albosquamosus include dead logs or bamboo culms in the natural forest. 

What are mushrooms?

• Mushrooms constitute secondary saprophytic fungi of the forest ecosystem.
• Secondary saprophytic fungi play a very important role in the decomposition of plant litter. 
• The Western Ghats region in Kerala is rich in fungi, many of which could also be described as endemic to the region.

Q1) What are saprophytes?

These are a group of fungi that obtain their nutrition by decomposing dead organic matter. These fungi play a crucial role in ecosystems by breaking down and recycling organic material, such as dead plants, fallen leaves, and wood, into simpler substances.

Source: Researchers identify a new mushroom species from the Western Ghats