Yunnan forests host discovery of giant Dianjunus rex fungus

Scientists have discovered a new species of giant fungus, named Dianjunus rex (or ‘D-rex’), in the forests of Yunnan province, China. The organism features whitish fruiting bodies, known as stromata, that can reach heights of 50 centimeters and weigh up to 2.2 kilograms.

According to a study published in Frontiers in Fungal Biology, the discovery is significant because it represents not only a new genus but an entirely new fungal family, Dianjunaceae. Dianjunus rex is the largest known species within the phylum Ascomycota, a group containing over 64,000 species including yeasts and truffles.

Researchers from the Kunming Institute of Botany identified the specimens growing on the woody roots of Chinese cork oak in both temperate coniferous forests and tropical rainforests. Molecular clock analysis suggests the Dianjunaceae family may have emerged approximately 65 million years ago, shortly after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, potentially filling new ecological niches created by the event.