Morpho-molecular characterization of Flammulina filiformis of Northeastern Himalayan Jammu and Kashmir: A new record from the Indian subcontinent

Flammmulina species are among the most cultivated as well as naturally occurring edible mushrooms occurring worldwide including Asia especially China, Japan and some parts of India. Morphological characterization based on macroscopic and microscopic characters like basicdiaocarp, basidiospores, basidia, pileus, stipe, different cystidial elements (pleurocystidia, cheilocystidia, pileocystidia) etc. of genus Flammulina was carried out. Molecular characterization based on sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using PCR based ITS1 and ITS4 primers, and phylogeny reconstructed, Flammulina filiformis was identified and is proposed as new record from India. The sequence was submitted to GenBank, NCBI under accession number ON844192.