Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 11 August 2026

Russula griseopurpurata: New Mushroom Species Found in Meghalaya

Exam-focused facts from the 11 August 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • A mushroom collected in Meghalaya's Ri Bhoi district in 2022 has been identified as a new species named Russula griseopurpurata.
  • The species belongs to the Russula genus and has been recorded from Meghalaya and West Bengal.
  • The discovery was published in the journal Phytotaxa on August 5, 2026, by researchers from Gauhati University.
  • The Meghalaya specimen was collected at Jirang in Ri Bhoi on July 22, 2022, at an elevation of 320 metres beneath a sal tree (Shorea robusta).
  • The mushroom features a greyish-purple cap that cracks with maturity and gills with characteristic forkings near the stalk.
  • Researchers used ITS DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to confirm the species' identity.

View this story in the full daily briefing

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