New cup fungus species discovered in Turkish forests via DNA testing
Foraging
Fungal foragers and mushroom hunters should know that the large, wavy-capped cup fungi they spot on forest floors might include species science hasn't even named yet, and genetic testing is now the only reliable way to tell them apart.
Researchers found a new kind of fungus growing in Türkiye that looks like a big, irregularly shaped cup or saucer sitting on the ground. It looks almost identical to its close relatives, so the team had to check its DNA to prove it was actually a species nobody had described before. The main visible difference is that its spores, the tiny particles it uses to reproduce, are noticeably wider than those of similar fungi.
Key Findings
A new fungal species, Discina anatolica, was formally described from Türkiye using both physical traits and DNA analysis
The species has large, sessile to substipitate, discoid to irregularly lobed fruiting bodies (ascomata)
ITS gene sequencing placed D. anatolica as a distinct genetic lineage separate from its closest morphological relatives, which it differs from mainly by having consistently broader ascospores
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists have identified a brand-new species of large cup fungus in Türkiye, named Discina anatolica, distinguishing it from similar fungi through both its physical features and DNA evidence.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Discina anatolica sp. nov. (Pezizales, Discinaceae) from Türkiye, with morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence
A new species, Discina anatolica, is described from Türkiye based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. The species is characterized by its large, sessile to substipitate, discoid t...
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