Blackwellomyces kaihuaensis is a unique species of fungus in Quzhou. [Photo/Tide News]

Hidden within the dense forests of Kaihua county in Quzhou is a unique species of fungus, recently christened as Blackwellomyces kaihuaensis.

Not long ago, the findings were published in the international academic journal Forests.

Associate Professor Li Yi at Yangzhou University explained that Blackwellomyces kaihuaensis bears a resemblance to the common Cordyceps militaris and shares a close genetic relationship. Its host is the larvae of the Lepidoptera family.

As early as May 2021, a research team from Yangzhou University, in collaboration with Zhejiang University and the Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, collected the biological sample from a mixed broadleaf and coniferous forest in Kaihua county. Through DNA sequencing analysis and morphological comparison, it was confirmed to be a new species.

Kaihua boasts lush vegetation and abundant species. In 2023, it was awarded the title of "World's Best Nature Reserve" by the World Conservation Union.

Since 2021, the county has conducted biodiversity baseline surveys, discovering a total of 6,476 species, including 92 new records for China and 148 new records for Zhejiang province. Among them, there are 14 species of national first-class protected animals and plants, and 115 species of national second-class protected animals and plants.