1. NEW RECORD OF FLESHY FUNGI FROM
KHUMBU REGION, NEPAL
Prabina Rana*, Anjana Giri* and Sanjib K. Shrestha*
*Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Khumultar, Lalitpur, Nepal.
Abstract: Pulverboletus ravenelii (Berkeley and Curtis) Murrill, a wild mushroom of class Basidiomycetes recently
collected from Ghat under coniferous forest (dominanted by Pinus wallichiana) on 14 Aug, 2004, at an altitude of
2604 metre above sea level (masl.) has been recorded as new to Nepal.
Keywords: Pulverboletus ravenelii; Mushroom; Basidiomycetes; Ghat.
INTRODUCTION: overlain with a dry veil, tomentose to pulverulent due to
velar layer, glabrous to appressed fibrillose when veil
The first exploration and collection of Nepalese fungi was
fragments disappear, yellowish color with fibrils of reddish
initiated by J.D Hooker in 1848. There after, Nepalese and
brown, veil elements yellow in young basidiocarps,
foreign mycologists have contributed in this field. A
unchanging or becoming a paler yellow when old. Context 1-
previously undescribed Boletus encountered during a
2 cm thick, whitish to pale yellow, slowly changing to blue
taxonomical and ecological investigation of the mycoflora of
when exposed sometimes becoming brown.
Khumbu region, is assigned to the genus Pulverboletus as
P. ravenelii. The genus was kept under family Boletaceae. Tubes 0.5-1.5 cm long, adnate, bright yellow when young,
The specimen was collected from Ghat under the coniferous becoming darker yellow with age, turning blue to greenish
forest at an altitude of 2604masl. The area lies between Lukla blue when bruised, sometimes changing to cinnamon-brown
and Phakdin (buffer zone of Sagarmatha National Park) at a to blackish; pores 0.5-1 mm broad, round to angular,
longitude of 86042.98' and latitude of 27042.44'. concolorous with tubes, bluing when bruised.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The specimen was collected from Ghat under the coniferous
forest (dominated by Pinus wallichiana) on 14 Aug, 2004.
The photographs of specimen were taken in its natural habitat.
The morphological characters such as spore print and colour,
habitat, pileus and tube colour, etc. were examined in the
field. The specimen was first sun dried and taken to the
laboratory of RONAST for microscopic study and
identification. The measurement of size of spores, basidia,
cystidia were taken by ocular micrometer. Identification was
done on basis of literatures of Adhikari, M.K. 2000; Imazeki
et.al.1988; Dikinson, C and Lucas, J. 1979; Miller, O.K. 1984;
Svreck, M. 1975, Murrill, W.A. 1909, and Kreiger, H. 1967.
The specimen is preserved at the RONAST Laboratory,
Khumaltar. Stipe 6.4-12 cm long, 0.7-1.5 cm thick at the apex, equal or
occasionally tapering toward the apex or irregular in shape,
Pulverboletus ravenelii (Berkeley and Curtis) Murrill
solid, with white to pale yellow rhizoids at the base; surface
Pileus 3.6 -9 cm broad, convex to broadly convex; margin dry to moist. Context pale ochraceous to whitish except
tucked in, entire , surface viscid to subviscid but typically intensely yellow in base, unchanging or developing a pinkish
Author for Correspondence: Prabina Rana, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), P.O. Box 3323, Khumultar, Lalitpur, Nepal.
Scientific World, Vol. 4, No. 4, July 2006 50

2. tinge when exposed. REFERENCES:
Spore print yellowish brown. Spores 9-11 X 5-5.5 µm, ellipsoid, Adhikari, M.K. 2000. Mushrooms of Nepal. Edited by Durrieu, G.
moderately thick walled, ochraceous in KOH. (Ed.), P.U. Printers, Battishputali, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Basidia 22-31.5 X 8.5-13.5 µm, four-spored, hyaline, clavate.
Dikinson, C and Lucas, J. 1979. Encyclopedia of Mushrooms. Orchid
Hymenium typically yellow in KOH. Hymenial cystidia 30-56
publication, London.
X 5-12 µm, scattered to numerous, clavate to subcylindric,
thin-walled,hyaline to lemon yellow in KOH. Imazeki.R, Otani. Y. and Hongo, T. 1988. Coloured Illustrations of
Specimen examined - Solitary in moist soil under pine forest Fungi of Japan. YAMA-KEI Publishers co. Ltd. Tokyo, Japan.
of Ghat, especially in open areas among grasses. Generally
Kreiger, H. 1967. The mushroom Handbook. Dover, New York.
found from July to September at an altitude of 2604masl. Not
previously recorded, hence new to Nepal. Miller, O.K. 1984. Mushrooms of North America. E.P. Duttom
Publishing Company Inc. New York.
Distribution: Taiwan, China, Japan, Malaysia, North America
Murrill, W.A. 1909. The Boletaceae of North America. Mycologia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
1(1): 9.
We are grateful to Ev-K2-CNR/Ronast for their full support. We
are indebted to Mr. Morten Christensen, PhD scholar of the Svreck, M. 1975. A colour guide to Familiar Mushrooms. Octopus
Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University, Denmark for his Book Company.
assistance in making the microscopic study and identification. ***
51 Scientific World, Vol. 4, No. 4, July 2006