INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS - India Environment Portal

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Proc. 98th Indian Science Congress, Part II : Presidential Address
and Gregory, 1980). Two more species have been now recorded from N. W.
Himalayas. These are : a new species of Tricholoma and T. virgatum (Fr. ex. Fr.)
Kummer. The latter has been observed growing in mycorrhizal association with C.
deodara (Lakhanpal, 1986 : Kumar, 1987).
The genus Tricholomopsis is so far represented by two species from India,
one from U. P. (Singh and Mehrotra, 1974) and other from Eastern Himalaya (T.
rutilana, Sarwal, 1984). Kumar (1987) and Lakhanpal (1986) recorded T. rutilans
(Schaeff. ex. Fr.) Singer and T. sulphureoides (Peck) Singer from N. W.
Himalayas for the first time.
In the genus Flammulina only F. velutipes (Curt ex. Fr.) Karst. has been
reported so far from India and Himalaya. In the genus Lyophyllum represented by
four species in India, has not been recorded so far from Himalayan ranges.
Lakhanpal (1986) recorded L. decastes (Fr. Ex. Fr.) Singer from H. P.
In the genus Resupinatus Watling and Gregory (1980) recorded R. applicatus
from Kashmir and in the genus Xeramphalina, out of the three species recorded
from India and Himalayas, X. aurara Horak and X. campanella (Batsch. ex. Fr.)
Maire, have been recorded from N. w. Himalaya (Watling and Gregory, 1980)
II. Systematics of morels
The genus Morchella (Ascomycetes) commonly know as morels and ‘Guchhi’
in the Indian market is at present, the costliest and most sought after wild
mushroom. It has an excellent flavour and is highly prized for its culinary aspects.
Morel collections generate extra income for the local inhabitants. Attempts have
been made to domesticate it but success has been only partial. Therefore, studies
were undertaken to investigate all possible aspects of morel biology (Shad, 1989;
Lakhanpal and Shad 1999, Shad and Lakhanpal, 1991, Thakur 2001, Rana, 2002,
Lakhanpal et al. 2010). All the six classical species viz. M. angusticeps, M.
conica, M. crasispes, M. deliciosa, M. esculenta and M. semilibera have been
collected and described from the Himalayan region.
The systematics of genus Morchella and its species has been in a state of
flux. Presently though most of the authors favour a six species concept, even for
these species there is little consensus. On the basis of morphological features, out
of the four species in M. esculenta complex. (M. esculenta, M. deliciosa, M.
conica and M. crassipes), M. conica M. crassipes have at least one distinguishing
characteristics each (conical shape in the former and swollen stipe in the latter)