A Reports on Wild Mushrooms Diversity from Mid-Himalayas of Bharsar, Uttarakhand

Abstract

A systematic survey of wild macrofungi was conducted in the temperate evergreen forests of the Bharsar region, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, situated at elevations between eighteen hundred and twenty-three hundred meters above sea level. Field visits and specimen collection were carried out from August to June during the academic year two thousand twenty-four to two thousand twenty-five. Sixty distinct mushroom species were recorded from various locations and identified based on morphological traits. These belonged to thirty-seven genera, thirty-two families and ten orders within the phyla Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. Among these, twenty-two species were edible, eighteen inedible or poisonous, thirteen medicinal and seven of unknown edibility. The most represented families included Agaricaceae, Russulaceae and Polyporaceae, with dominant orders such as Agaricales, Polyporales and Russulales. The study highlights the rich macrofungal diversity and ecological significance of the Bharsar region.