Representational file photo.
Jakarta: A team of researchers has discovered a new species of morel mushroom in the Mount Rinjani Biosphere Reserve, located in Indonesia's West Nusa Tenggara province, a researcher announced on Monday.
The species, scientifically named Morchella rinjaniensis, was found on the slopes of the mountain on Lombok Island by researchers from Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), according to Atik Retnowati, a researcher at BRIN's Research Center for Biosystemics and Evolution.
"This species has a unique combination of characteristics not found in other Morchella species, both morphologically and molecularly," said Retnowati in a statement.
She emphasized that genetic analysis of four genes revealed distinct differences between this mushroom and other known Morchella species.
"Therefore, scientifically, it can be classified as a new species," she explained.
Retnowati added that the newly identified morel mushroom has a fruiting body that can grow up to 19 centimeters in height, with an irregular pattern of pits and large spores.
