ADILABAD: A burst of rare and colourful fungi has been documented in the Kagaznagar forest division of the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, with the most striking find being the ‘blue pinkgill’ — a species native to New Zealand and famously featured on the country’s $50 note. This vivid blue mushroom, its colour derived from rare azulene pigments, has been spotted blooming in the Kadamba Reserve Forest and other locations across the division.
Kagaznagar, known for its rich biodiversity, witnesses a variety of mushroom species each monsoon. Forest officials say the recent sightings underscore the reserve’s exceptional mycological diversity. “This year, several species of colourful mushrooms have been captured in the division,” said Kagaznagar Forest Divisional Officer Shushanth Sukdev.
In a separate discovery, researchers from Osmania University recorded the rare shuttlecock mushroom (Clathrus delicatus) in the Kawal Tiger Reserve.
This marks the first confirmed record of the species in the Eastern Ghats, extending its known range beyond the Western Ghats and the western parts of the Indian subcontinent. The finding challenges earlier assumptions about its habitat preferences and highlights the ecological uniqueness of the Eastern Ghats.
Scientists say such discoveries are of significant academic and ecological value, offering fresh insights into the fungal diversity of Telangana’s forests.