‘Trichoglossum syamviswanathii’: Fungus discovered by KFRI, BSI, UoH team named after Indian scientist

NEW DELHI : Researchers from Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Thrissur, Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Andaman and Nicobar, and University of Hyderabad have jointly discovered a new fungus species in Kerala.

It was collected from the moist soil near the Bambusetum of KFRI’s field research center in Thrissur’s Palappilly, and named ‘Trichoglossum syamviswanathii’ after its former director, Syam Viswanath, highly-regarded scientist who made a significant contribution to forestry in India.

Senior scientist and head of the forest pathology department of KFRI, Shambhu Kumar; junior research fellow at KFRI Mufeeda KT; BIS scientist, S Mahadevakumar; and researchers Chalasani Danteswari and VSRN Sarma from Hyderabad University were part of the team to make the discovery.

The discovery based on “morphological characteristics and molecular phylogenetic analyses”, was recently published in the Netherlands-based journal, Persoonia.

Trichoglossum syamviswanathii

Globally, the genus Trichoglossum has so far 55 records out of which 21 are validly accepted species as per Species Fungorum, an international project to index all formal names in the fungus kingdom.

Trichoglossum is a genus classified within the family Geoglossaceae (Ascomycota), commonly known as “hairy earth tongues” fungus. These fungi exhibit club-shaped apothecia in dark shades of black or brown.

“Occurrence of diversity of species of Trichoglossum in India is poorly represented. Trichoglossum syamviswanathii species belong to the family Geoglossaceae (Ascomycota) fungi and have been kept in KFRI-Mycological herbarium,” scientists said in their statement.

Trichoglossum syamviswanathii fungus (Image source: KFRI)

Geoglossaceae fungi are broadly known as earth tongues. Mycological herbarium is a depository institution of fungal collections. French mycologist Jean Louis Émile Boudier established the genus Trichoglossum by separating it from the genus Geoglossum.

“The designated type species for Trichoglossum is Trichoglossum hirsutum. Trichoglossum species are globally distributed in tropical and temperate forests at least five out of seven continents of the world,” they said.

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Importance of Trichoglossum syamviswanathii

This finding underscores the importance of ongoing exploration and research into the diverse flora, fauna and fungi in the Western Ghats.

The Trichoglossum genus exhibits saprotrophic behavior but can also be found as an endophyte in plant roots. It has been reported that ecological factors play an important role on the morphology and distribution of the fungal forms.

“Trichoglossum species have been reported to play a crucial role in the decomposition of organic matter. They contribute to the breakdown of dead plant material, helping to recycle nutrients in forest ecosystems,” Kumar said. “The biological potentiality is not much explored and hence further research to be taken for proximate analysis and biological attributes of Trichoglossum syamviswanathii.”