Imphal, Oct. 29 -- A new fungal species, Mollisia sokpayensis, associated with the rhizome of Panax sokpayensis, a rare and valuable medicinal plant, has been discovered in the Sikkim Himalaya.

A team of microbiologists led by Manipur scientist Laishram Shantikumar Singh made the discovery. Their findings were published in the 2026 edition of the international journal Fungal Diversity, Volume 136, in a paper titled "Fungal Diversity Notes: Notes on Worldwide New Species and Records."

The research team included Subecha Rai, Gajanan V. Mane, Rohit Sharma and Thounaojam Salvia. Singh and Salvia are both from Khangabok village in Manipur's Thoubal district.

The fungus was isolated from a plant sample collected at Jorbotay in Uttarey, West ...