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Mushrooms, a diverse group of fungi, has captivated human interest for centuries due to their intriguing characteristics and versatile application. The nutritional profile, coupled with unique organoleptic qualities, renders mushrooms not only a culinary delight, but also a valuable component of a balanced diet. In addition, mushrooms have gained recognition for their medicinal properties due to certain compounds found within them that exhibit promising pharmacological activities. Among the edible mushrooms, the Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) is commercially important in the global mushroom market and is widely cultivated and consumed in various parts of the world. Beyond the culinary appeal and medicinal properties of Pleurotus species, their cultivation holds an important environmental significance. These mushrooms are efficient decomposers of lignocellulosic biomass, contributing to agricultural and forestry waste recycling. Many researchers have demonstrated how their cultivation can serve as a sustainable practice, reducing the environmental impact of organic waste while generating a valuable food resource. In Sri Lanka, oyster mushroom cultivation is practiced on a small scale as a self-employed cottage industry. Four main species of oyster mushrooms, namely P. djamor, P. eous, P. ostreatus, and P. cystidiosus, are commercially cultivated in Sri Lanka. Obtaining an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable substrate is a key factor in promoting the mushroom industry within the country, ensuring export-quality mushroom production. Recently, there have been some attempts to use unconventional substrate materials, such as used diapers, as an innovative and eco-friendly approach, where the high cellulose content of diapers serves as a substrate for fungal growth, while, repurposing problematic non-biodegradable waste streams for agricultural practices. a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Anthostomella-like taxon was obtained from Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze (Pandanaceae) collected in Krabi Province in Thailand. Morphological data plus phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, RPB2, and β-tubulin sequence data clearly separate this Anthostomella-like taxon from other known genera in Xylariaceae. In this paper, we introduce this taxon as a new genus, Anthostomelloides, in the family Xylariaceae, with A. krabiensis as the type. A detailed morphological description, phylogenetic tree, photomicrographs of A. krabiensis, keys to Anthostomella-like genera, and a comparison of A. krabiensis with the morphologically similar taxa in Xylariaceae are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylariales are common endophytes of Dendrobium. However, xylarialean species resolution remains difficult without sequence data and poor sporulation on artificial media and asexual descriptions for only several species and old type material. The surface-sterilized and morph-molecular methods were used for fungal isolation and identification. A total of forty-seven strains were identified as twenty-three species belonging to Apiosporaceae, Hypoxylaceae, Induratiaceae, and Xylariaceae. Five new species—Annulohypoxylon moniliformis, Apiospora dendrobii, Hypoxylon endophyticum, H. officinalis and Nemania dendrobii were discovered. Three tentative new species were speculated in Xylaria. Thirteen known fungal species from Hypoxylon, Nemania, Nigrospora, and Xylaria were also identified. Another two strains were only identified at the genus and family level (Induratia sp., Hypoxylaceae sp.). This study recorded 12 new hosts for xylarialean endophytes. This is the first report of Xylariales species as endophytes from Dendrobium aurantiacum var. denneanum, D. cariniferum, D. harveyanum, D. hercoglossum, D. moniliforme, and D. moschatum. Dendrobium is associated with abundant xylarialean taxa, especially species of Hypoxylon and Xylaria. We recommend the use of oat agar with low concentrations to induce sporulation of Xylaria strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]