Giant Yunnan fungus named a new species and family

Researchers have proposed Dianjunus rex as a new fungal species, genus and family after studying specimens collected in Yunnan, China. The fungus’s upright fruiting structures—called stromata—reached up to 50 centimeters high and weighed as much as 2.2 kilograms, according to the study. ^[1]

The researchers combined examination of physical features with DNA-based comparisons across multiple genetic regions and genome-scale analysis. They classified the fungus in the newly proposed family Dianjunaceae, within the order Xylariales. ^[1]

A genome-calibrated estimate places the family’s divergence at about 65 million years ago, with a range of 50 to 80 million years. This is an evolutionary estimate, not a direct date, and the study does not establish that the lineage’s emergence was caused by the extinction event around that time. ^[1]