Isolation and Cultural Characteristics of Cantharellus subvaginatus, the Species Reported Only in Korea

Isolation and cultural characteristics of Cantharellus subvaginatus, the species reported only 
in Korea

Eunjin Kim, Mi-Jeong Park, Yeongseon Jang, and Kang-Hyeon Ka*

Forest Microbiology Division, Department of Forest Bio-Resources, National Institute of Forest Science, Suwon, Republic of Korea

*E-mail: kasymbio@korea.kr

Yellow chanterelles (Cantharellus spp., order Cantharellales) are one of the most popular wild edible mushrooms. At present, more than 100 chanterelle species have been recorded in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. In Korea, five Cantharellus species – C. albovenosus, C. citrinus, C. curvatus, C. koreanus, and C. subvaginatus had been newly identified from 2017 to 2020. From August to September 2022, we collected 17 chanterelles and performed molecular identification and pure culture of them. Among them, pure cultures of C. subvaginatus were successfully isolated from spores of the fruit bodies, and their identities were verified using molecular analysis. We investigated the optimal culture conditions such as the type of agar medium, initial pH, and growth temperature. In our assay conditions, the best growth rate of C. subvaginatus was obtained with SDA solid medium. The optimal pH and temperature were determined to be pH 6.0 and 27℃, respectively. This is the first report on the isolation and cultural characteristics of C. subvaginatus, the species reported only in Korea. Based on the isolates, ectomycorrhizal synthesis of this fungus is ongoing.