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Three new mushroom species discovered in UK grocery store

Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger/Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

Courtesy: Bryn Dentinger/Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew


Cheryl Santa Maria
Digital Reporter

Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 5:00 PM - Researchers were surprised to discover three new mushroom species tucked inside a commercial packet of dried Chinese porcini mushrooms purchased at a London, UK grocery store.

Scientists used a technique referred to as DNA barcoding to make the discovery.

It's unclear where the mushrooms were purchased but according to the CBC they were found somewhere in "southwest greater London."

Mycologist Bryn Dentinger told the news agency that his team discovered three new, previously unnamed species in the 15 samples that were tested.


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Scientists say the term "porcini" isn't a scientific label but rather, refers to the nutty flavour of the mushroom.

Still, porcinis typically belong to the bolete classification.

Researchers add that while the three mushrooms were previously undocumented, all are safe for human consumption. They say the findings may shed light on how mushrooms evolve to look similar but remain genetically different.

A paper on the discovery can be found online at PeerJ.

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