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Comprehensive morphological and phylogenetical analysis of the wild earthstar mushroom Geastrum Triplex from the Butea-Tectona mixed deciduous tropical forest of the Lower Chota Nagpur Plateau, India: an integrative taxonomic approach

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Abstract

The diversity of mycoflora is crucial for determining the overall health of an ecosystem, yet it has received less attention compared to floristic diversity. An integrated taxonomical approach was used to understand the diversity and systematics of the gasteroid fungus Geastrum in the tropical mixed forest of Butea and Tectona in India’s Lower Chota Nagpur Plateau. Geastrum triplex, identified as a collared earthstar fungus, exhibits distinctive characteristics, including onion-shaped to obpyriform young basidiomes, a round umbo at the apex, a pseudoparenchymatous layer around the base of the sessile endoperidium, and a delimited fibrillose peristome. The present study provides a comprehensive morphological description coupled with illustrations, SEM image of basidiospores, distribution and ITS based phylogenetic analysis of Geastrum triplex and moreover, contributes to the distributional records in the Lower Chota Nagpur Plateau regions of India.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the Department of Botany, DSPMU, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, as well as Dr. Sanjib Chattopadhyay (Principal) & Dr. Sabdar Rahaman from Bangabasi Evening College, Kolkata, West Bengal, for providing all of the necessary resources. We also thank the Department of Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, West Bengal, India, for providing the SEM facility, as well as Dr. R.K. Gupta, Dr. Kanad Das and Dr. Manoj E. Hembrom of the Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, W.B., for providing the laboratory and herbarium facilities. Dr. Hembrom deserves special thanks for his support and inspiration. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Sangita Kindo, of the Department of Botany, DSPMU, Ranchi, for her assistance with line drawing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Bangabasi Evening College, Calcutta University, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700009, India

    Vineet Vishal

  2. Department of Botany, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 834008, India

    Vineet Vishal, Somnath Singh Munda, Geetanjali Singh & Shalini Lal

  3. Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, PO Box 1524, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Julieth O. Sousa

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  1. Vineet Vishal
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  2. Somnath Singh Munda
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  4. Geetanjali Singh
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  5. Shalini Lal
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Contributions

The ideas and project were developed by SL, GS, JOS, SSM and VV. VV and SSM involved in the research and investigation process, particularly in sample collection and experimentation. VV, GS, and SL have equally contributed in data interpretation, analysis and writing of the manuscript. All of the authors provided constructive feedback on how to implement the study, analysis and developing the article. The version to be submitted, as well as any revised versions, received final approval from SL.

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Correspondence to Shalini Lal.

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Vishal, V., Munda, S.S., Sousa, J.O. et al. Comprehensive morphological and phylogenetical analysis of the wild earthstar mushroom Geastrum Triplex from the Butea-Tectona mixed deciduous tropical forest of the Lower Chota Nagpur Plateau, India: an integrative taxonomic approach. Biologia 79, 373–380 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-023-01586-1

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