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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Molecular Identification of New Recorded
Morels from Kashmir, Western Himalayas
1
Department of Botany, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kotli, 11100, Pakistan
2
Department of Botany, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK), Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan
3
Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan
4
Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota,
308 Harvard St., SE, Minneapolis MN 55455, USA
5
Department of Botany, Islamia College Peshawar, 25120 Peshawar, Pakistan
6
University Public School, University of Peshawar, 25120 Peshawar, Pakistan
7
Batman University, Department of Crop and Animal Production, Sason Vocational School, Batman, 72060, Turkey
8
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, King Saud University,
PO Box-60169, Riyadh -11545, Saudi Arabia
9
Department of Botany, Hindu College Moradabad (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University Bareilly)
-244001, India
Submission date: 2024-02-17
Final revision date: 2024-02-25
Acceptance date: 2024-04-08
Online publication date: 2024-08-05
Publication date: 2025-01-09
Corresponding author
Tariq Saiff Ullah
Department of Botany, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kotli, 11100, Pakistan
Department of Botany, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kotli, 11100, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(2):1321-1331
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Morels are edible fungi collected for food and medicines worldwide. In the present study, samples
of Morchella were collected during consecutive fungal surveys in 2017-2021 from Neelum Valley, Azad
Jammu, and Kashmir. The specimens were identified as Morchella costata Pers., Morchella conica
Krombh., Naturgetr. Abbild. Beschr., Morchella deliciosa Fr., Morchella elata Fr., and Morchella
tridentina Bres., after phylogenetic sequencing using the nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) barcoding
technique along with morpho-anatomical analyses. The highest stipe length was found in Morchella
elata (6-8.8 cm), and the lowest was noted in Morchella deliciosa (2-3.5 cm). The highest pileus length
was found in Morchella costata (6.9-12 cm), and the lowest was noted in Morchella conica (2.5-4 cm).
The highest spore size was observed in Morchella costata (26.5-33 × 12-16 μm), and the lowest was
observed in Morchella conica (7.2-7.5 × 12.5-14.6 μm). This is the first detailed study on morels, based
on molecular phylogeny from the State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. Variations have
been observed in both qualitative and quantitative characters. The results reinforced the significance
of the morpho-anatomical features of the genus Morchella and will be used as an aid for valuable
taxonomic tools in the systematics of morels. The accurate identification of morels species is very
crucial for the isolation of bioactive compounds, and these compounds play a vital role in the drug discovery. So, we recommend a comprehensive exploration of Morels in the Western Himalayan Forests
by using advanced molecular approaches and the isolation of bioactive compounds because this genus is
still unexplored in the context of pharmaceutics.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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