Article Abstract

Volume 36, No. (3), 2026 (June)
A NOVEL SPECIES OF MALLOCYBE (INOCYBACEAE) FROM GILGIT-BALTISTAN, PAKISTAN
Hanza Ahmad Khan, Sobia Ilyas, Abdul Razaq, Waqar Zafar, Muhammad Zubair, Atiqa Kousar, Ajmal Khan, Muhammad Shahid

H. A. Khan¹, S. Ilyas²*, A. Razaq³, W. Zafar⁴, M. Zubair⁵, A. Kousar⁶, A. Khan⁷, M. Shahid⁸

¹ Department of Botany, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, 54590 Pakistan,
² Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, 38655, United States of America,
³ Department of Botany, Faculty of Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Ravi Campus, Pattoki, 54000, Pakistan,
⁴ Department of Forestry and Range Management, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan,
⁵ Department of Botany, University of Science and Technology Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 28100, Pakistan,
⁶ Department of Botany, University of Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan,
⁷ Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra, 21300, Pakistan,
⁸ Department of Plant Pathology, Balochistan, Agriculture College, Quetta, 87300, Pakistan,

Corresponding Author: silyas@olemiss.edu
Published Online First: March 02, 2026
ABSTRACT

The genus Mallocybe has been recently delineated within the family Inocybaceae. Its recognition is based on distinctive macro-anatomical features as well as molecular phylogenetic evidence. Despite this advancement, the genus remains globally understudied. In Pakistan in particular, Mallocybe is underexplored, and its species diversity has yet to be systematically assessed. In this study, a fungal specimen was collected from Fairy Meadows (35.38685°N, 74.58416°E) at an elevation of approximately 3,300 meters in Gilgit-Baltistan. Comprehensive morpho-anatomical examination was conducted, alongside molecular characterization targeting the internal trnscribed spacer (ITS) region of nrDNA. The ITS sequence was amplified, sequenced, and analyzed phylogenetically to determine its taxonomic affiliation. This integrative approach led to the identification of a novel species, Mallocybe gilgitica, characterized by a depressed pileus with orange-brown fibrillose surface and dextrinoid basidiospores. Phylogenetic inference revealed a close affinity with Mallocybecrassivelata and Mallocybe leucoblema. This study reports a new Mallocybe species from Pakistan, identified through integrated morphological and molecular analyses, and highlights its valuable contribution to the fungal diversity of Pakistan.

Keywords: Fungal systematics, morphological traits, sequencing, South Asia

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Journal Impact Factor: 0.5 | (JCR Year: 2025) | Cite Score: 1.3

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Print ISSN: 1018-7081

Electronic ISSN: 2309-8694

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