Discovery of a rare medicinal mushroom, Lignosus hainanensis (Polyporaceae, Basidiomycota) in Sabah (Northern Borneo), Malaysia

Abstract

Lignosus hainanensis was discovered in the Hainan Island, China, a decade ago, marking the only known occurrence of this species worldwide. This study provides the first report of Lignosus hainanensis from the Kadamaian Forest in Sabah (Northern Borneo), Malaysia, including detailed macro- and micromorphological descriptions, supported by molecular analyses. The morphological characteristics of the Malaysian collection was matched with the description of Lignosus hainanensis from the Hainan Island, China. Despite similarities in basidiocarps, Malaysian L. hainanensis showed similar hymenophore and basidiospore in terms of size, but with slightly different basidiospore shapes. Phylogenetic analysis of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region strongly supported the phylogenetic placement of the Malaysian collection alongside the Chinese collections. This study confirmed the occurrence of Lignosus hainanensis in Sabah, Malaysia, marking its first recorded presence in the region.