First molecular record of Panaeolus subbalteatus (Psathyrellaceae, Agaricales) from Pakistan.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek July 9, 2026 Saliha Rukhsar, Nousheen Yousaf, Mahneem Fazal et al.
A previously unreported psychoactive mushroom species, Panaeolus subbalteatus, was identified in Pakistan for the first time using both physical characteristics and DNA analysis. Collected from humus-rich soil in Gujranwala district, Punjab province, the specimen was confirmed through phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region, clustering strongly with reference sequences from China, the Netherlands, and GenBank. The mushroom has a creamy white to light brown cap with a broad umbo, greyish-black gills, no ring, and basidiospores measuring 10.8-14.2 × 5.7-8.5 µm. This first molecular record expands the known distribution of this neurotoxic, psilocybin-containing species and adds to the six previously documented Panaeolus species in Pakistan, highlighting the need for public health awareness about hallucinogenic mushrooms in South Asia.