Morphological and Molecular Evidence for a Novel Gymnopus Species from Thandiani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This study describes Gymnopus pakistanicus (Omphalotaceae) as a novel species discovered from Thandiani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, using an integrative taxonomic approach that combines morphological, anatomical, and molecular analyses. Phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA confirms its placement within Gymnopus and demonstrates clear genetic divergence from closely related taxa. The discovery of G. pakistanicus adds to the growing knowledge of fungal diversity in the Western Himalayas and underscores the ecological and taxonomic importance of documenting fungi in understudied habitats.