Entirely new mushroom species discovered in Sweden
The researchers have discovered four species of Phellodon fungi, at least three of which are found in Swedish forests. The picture shows fungi of the species Phellodon dititomentosus. Photo: Sten Svantesson
A researcher at Uppsala University has discovered four new mushrooms for science, three of which are found in Sweden – where they are already threatened with extinction. It is a case of hidden species diversity in the group of hydnoid fungi.
Sten Svantesson is a researcher at Uppsala University’s Department of Organismal Biology and the Museum of Evolution. Together with colleagues in Gothenburg and the United Kingdom, he has discovered four species of Phellodon fungi, at least three of which are found in Swedish forests.
“These are very fascinating fungi because of the symbiosis they have with the trees in our forests. They help trees to find nutrients and water and yet there is still a lot we don't know about them and they are rarely seen – they are part of what we refer to as hidden biodiversity,” explains Svantesson.
The newly discovered species are distinguished from existing species, which are very similar but can be separated by their habitats, among other aspects.
Living in symbiosis
“Yes, ecology is important. They live in symbiosis with different host trees on different types of soil, some in calcareous beech forests, others in acidic pine bogs.”
Mushrooms of the species Phellodon aquiloniniger. Photo: Sten Svantesson.
However, one environmental requirement unites all the new species – their association with old-growth forests. Because of this, they are now in line for red listing in Sweden, shortly after their discovery. Clear-cutting is something Svantesson considers a problem.
“It’s in the old-growth forests – those with a continuity of trees and not yet cleared – that we make these kinds of discoveries. Continuity forests, as we call them, have a much more species-rich ecosystem than forest plantations, which is particularly important now that the climate crisis is looming. The more species-rich an ecosystem is, the more resilient it is to disturbances and disasters.”
Antibiotic properties
Species diversity also has a more direct impact on humans, according to Svantesson. He explains that for already known species of Phellodon, the genus to which the new species belong, substances with antibiotic properties have been found.
“It would be terribly unfortunate if the species that could secure our future were to be wiped out by us before we discovered them.”
Annica Hulth
Publication
- The genus Phellodon (Thelephorales, Basidiomycota) in Europe: Four new species, one new combination, four new typifications and a first European record.
- Authors: Svantesson, S, Larsson, E, Larsson, K.-H, Parfitt, D, Suz, L.M, Ainsworth, A.M.
- Published in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution.
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.3114/fuse.2025.15.01