Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee

Four new fungal species of the genus Chlorociboria have been discovered in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. These discoveries not only enrich knowledge of the species diversity of Chlorociboria in China but also provide valuable morphological and molecular data for fungal taxonomy studies.

Yunnan is recognized as a global hotspot for fungal diversity due to its distinctive geography and ecological richness. The four newly identified species of Chlorociboria in the region have been named C. ailaoensis, C. bannaensis, C. laojunensis, and C. yulongensis.

"The genus Chlorociboria has attracted significant attention due to its ability to produce xylindein, a naturally stable blue-green pigment," Zhao Qi, a researcher with the archaeological team, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

"The distinct characteristics of the newly identified species and their potential in xylindein production could open up new avenues for the development of future biomaterials," Zhao noted.

The fungi in the genus Chlorociboria are typically small, disc- or cup-shaped, and come in colors like blue-green, olive, yellow, or white. They often have a fuzzy surface, and their stalks and caps can also appear in similar colors. Under the microscope, they have fine, hair-like structures and clear, colorless spores that are usually oval, spindle-shaped, or thread-like, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Chlorociboria is a globally distributed genus. However, the number of known species is relatively limited, with only 34 species reported worldwide to date, according to The Paper.

Among the newly discovered Chlorociboria species, the type specimen of C. ailaoensis was found on decaying wood at an elevation of 2,430 meters on Ailao Mountain in the central part of Yunnan. Its apothecia feature a blue to deep blue receptacle, a macroscopically indistinct hairy mycelial surface, branched paraphyses in the middle and basal parts, and fusiform ascospores.

The type specimen of C. bannaensis was found on decaying wood at an altitude of 665 meters in the forests of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. The fungi have a light green stalk, with a surface covered in fine, fuzzy mycelium. The black stem supports the cap, which has a degenerated, disc-like structure underneath. The filaments of the fungus are thin and straight, and the spores are oval in shape. When tested with Melzer's reagent, the spores do not turn blue.

C. laojunensis was found on decaying wood at an elevation of 3,825 meters in the forests of Laojun Mountain in the northwestern part of Yunnan. Its apothecia are characterized by a pale blue hymenium, a dark blue receptacle with a macroscopically indistinct hairy mycelial surface, branched paraphyses in the middle and basal parts, and relatively large fusiform ascospores.

The type specimen of C. yulongensis was collected from decaying wood at an elevation of 2,330 meters in the forests of Yulong Snow Mountain, Lijiang, Yunnan. Its apothecia possess an olive-green to black hymenium, a white receptacle with a macroscopically indistinct hairy mycelial surface, filiform and branched paraphyses, asci that do not stain blue in Melzer's reagent, and ellipsoid to reniform ascospores.