By Scientists in Sri Lanka have discovered two new mushroom species, one in a home garden and one at the University of Ruhuna. The mushroom found in the home garden is edible and has been named Termitomyces srilankensis. This discovery shows that new mushroom species can be found even in urban areas.
Sri Lanka has a lot of mushroom diversity, but these are largely understudied. Scientists are urging the public to be more vigilant of the largely unexplored world of mushrooms and fungi.
“Sri Lanka has very good mushroom diversity, but as these are largely understudied, perhaps the mushroom in your garden too can be a species new to science,” says Dr Aseni Ediriweera, a scientist who studies mushrooms.
