Three New Mushroom Species Found in Shop-Bought Packet

Contents of a commercial packet of dried porcini containing three species new to science. Image credit: Bryn Dentinger.

Porcini are one of the most widely traded wild edible mushrooms in the world.

These mushrooms are large and conspicuous and used as a food both on their own and in processed food products.

Although porcini are best known from Europe and North America, recent discoveries from food markets and fieldwork have turned up new species from all over the world, including tropical Australia, Southeast Asia, China, Central and North America.

There are some 25 named and accepted species. The best-known species isBoletus edulis.

China is a major exporter of porcini, most of it ending up in Europe.READ MORE