First Molecularly Confirmed Record of Leiotrametes flavida (Polyporaceae) from Melghat region (Central India) Using ITS Phylogeny

Macrofungi play an important role in forest ecosystems, particularly in wood decomposition and nutrient cycling, yet their identification is often difficult due to similarities in morphological characters among related species. In the present study, a poroid macrofungus was collected from the Melghat forest region of Maharashtra, India, and investigated using both morphological and molecular approaches. The specimen showed typical features of Leiotrametes flavida, including yellow to yellow-orange basidiocarps with a bright yellow pore surface and a trimitic hyphal system. For molecular confirmation, the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA was amplified and sequenced, producing a fragment of approximately 600 bp. BLAST analysis of the ITS sequence revealed 99.66% similarity with reference sequences of Leiotrametes flavida. Phylogenetic analysis further supported this identification by placing the isolate within the Leiotrametes flavida clade, clearly separated from closely related genera within the family Polyporaceae. The combined morphological and molecular evidence confirms the identity of the specimen as Leiotrametes flavida and represents the first molecularly validated record of this species from the Melghat region of central India. This finding contributes to the documentation of fungal biodiversity in underexplored forest ecosystems and highlights the importance of integrative taxonomic approaches for accurate fungal identification.