Ethno-mycological Survey and Molecular Identification of Mushrooms in the Shimoga Region of the Western Ghats of Karnataka (India)

D.B. Santhosh, K. Nandini and N. Earanna*

Department of Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore – 560 065, India.

Received on 11 July 2016 and accepted on 30 September 2016

 

ABSTRACT

Shimoga region of Western Ghats is one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in India, which receives an average rainfall of 2869 mm and provides congenial atmosphere for mushrooms. In the present study eleven mushrooms were collected from Siddapura, Theertha halli and Agumbe forests of Shimoga district during monsoon (June-September 2013). The samples were labeled as WGM-1 to WGM-11 (Western Ghats Mushroom). These mushrooms were identified by ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) region sequence homology available at National Centre for Biotechnological Information (NCBI) Gen Bank as Lentinus squrossulus (WGM-1), Pleurotus salmoneostramenius (WGM-2), Termitomyces sp.-1 (WGM-3), Termitomyces sp.-2 (WGM-4), Leucoagaricus purpureolilacinus (WGM-5), Tricholosporum porphyrophyllum (WGM-6), Agrocybe pediades (WGM-7), Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (WGM-8), Podoscypha petalodes (WGM-9), Xylaria sp. (WGM-10) and Antrodia serialis (WGM-11). Among the eleven species, L. squrossulus, P. salmoneostramenius, Termitomyces sp.1, Termitomyces sp.2, were edible mushrooms. This study unravels the abundance of the mushroom species in parts of Shimoga region of Western Ghats area.

Keywords  

Western Ghats, Mushroom, ITS region, Molecular identification.