New Fungal Species Discovered in Sikkim Himalaya Linked to Rare Medicinal Plant

Sikkim: Researchers led by Manipur scientist Dr. Laishram Shantikumar Singh have discovered a new fungal species, Mollisia sokpayensia, in the Sikkim Himalaya, forming a unique biological bond with the rare medicinal plant Panax sokpayensis .

Published in the 2026 volume of Fungal Diversity , the slow-growing endophyte was isolated from plant samples gathered in West Sikkim between 1,800 and 2,300 metres above sea level .

The research team—including Subecha Rai, Gajanan V. Mane, Dr. Rohit Sharma, and Dr. Thounaojam Salvia—successfully cultivated the fungus, which develops into a blackish-brown colony on Potato Dextrose Agar within 14 days.

Supported by India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) , this discovery helps bridge regional taxonomic gaps in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. Because Panax plants are globally renowned for their therapeutic properties, scientists suggest this endophyte could drive new drug developments.

Additionally, laboratory cultivation of these associated fungi may reduce the ecological strain of harvesting threatened medicinal plants from the wild.

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