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Unveiling a Hidden Gem: The Discovery of a New Freshwater Red Algal Species (Sheathia meghalayensis Elaya Perumal & Palanisamy, 2026) in Meghalaya, India by Botanical Survey of India

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The Discovery of Sheathia meghalayensis   Elaya Perumal & Palanisamy, 2026 The world of phycology—the study of algae—just got a little more fascinating. While marine red algae dominate our coastal vocabulary, their freshwater counterparts, the Rhodophyta, represent an ancient and highly specialized evolutionary lineage. (Photo credit: Dr. U Elaya Perumal, Botanical Survey of India) In a paper published in Current Science , researchers U. Elaya Perumal and M. Palanisamy from the Botanical Survey of India announced a major taxonomic breakthrough: the discovery of a distinct, critically endangered freshwater red alga named Sheathia meghalayensis  Elaya Perumal & Palanisamy, 2026 . (Photo credit: Dr. U Elaya Perumal, Botanical Survey of India) The Background: Filling a Critical Gap in India’s Biodiversity Northeastern India is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, yet its freshwater macroalgae have historically lagged behind marine species in documentation. Prior su...

Daldinia concentrica | King Àlfred's Cake | Cramp Balls | Coal fungus

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Daldinia concentrica  Today we found an interesting fungus Daldinia concentrica which is known by several common names, including King Alfred's cake, cramp balls, and coal fungus. As with other fungi the light spores are distributed globally and the fungi develop wherever conditions are suitable - it lives on dead and decaying wood, and is a common, widespread saprotroph.  Daldinia concentrica (Bolton) Ces. & De Not. - King Alfred's Cakes Phylum: Ascomycota - Class: Sordariomycetes - Order: Xylariales - Family:  Xylariaceae       Daldinia concentrica, mushroom reported by the tribals for the wound healing activity.                             Inside the fruitbody there are concentric silver-grey and black layers (pictured below), from which comes the the specific epithet concentrica. Described in 1791 by British mycologist James Bolton (c. 1735 - 1799), who gave it the scie...

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