Cyathus striatus: a new record from Arunachal Pradesh and a checklist of Bird’s nest fungi in India

Abstract

Twenty four species of Bird's nest fungi belonging to four genera, namely Crucibulum, Cyathus, Nidula and Sphaerobolus have been reported from India with most of the reports were from Northeastern states in the Eastern Himalaya region that is well recognized for its rich biodiversity. Among these genera, Cyathus is the largest genus with 61 species documented so far in the world including 17 species from India. So far, only Cyathus poeppigii has been reported from the Eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh. In the present paper, another newly recorded species Cyathus striatus, is reported with its detail taxonomic characteristics. It produces comparatively smaller basidiocarps than the earlier reported collection from Darjeeling (West Bengal). Further, the basidiospores are thin walled but comparatively larger in size. The paper also lists all Bird's nest fungi from India with detailed information.