Madhara K. Wimalasena

Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka | SUSL · Faculty of Graduate Studies

Despite its relatively small land area, the diverse topography and climate of Sri Lanka support an extensive array of ecosystems and species diversity. However, the understanding of fungal diversity within the country remains limited, with only approximately 3,000 out of an estimated 34,000 fungal species documented thus far, mainly focusing on...

Sri Lanka is a biodiversity rich country. Given the vast array of plant species in Sri Lanka, it is reasonable to estimate that the country is home to approximately 34,000 fungal species, assuming a ratio of 1:9.8 plant to fungal species. Fungal diversity in aquatic ecosystems in Sri Lanka is still unknown. Hence, this study aims to document the fu...

Despite being a biodiversity-rich country, Sri Lanka’s fungal diversity remains largely unexplored. In the 19th century, British mycologists conducted extensive research, leading to the identification of more than 1,800 fungal taxa, including ascomycetous and basidiomycetous species. However, the majority of these taxa have not been revisited since...

This paper provides an updated classification of the Kingdom Fungi (including fossil fungi) and fungus-like taxa. Five-hundred and twenty-three (535) notes are provided for newly introduced taxa and for changes that have been made since the previous outline. In the discussion, the latest taxonomic changes in Basidiomycota are provided and the class...

Sri Lanka is considered a mega-biodiversity hotspot, with a rich collection of flora and fauna. Basidiomycota is the second largest and most diverse phylum of fungi, comprising over 31,000 species. The present paper is intended to bring together all reported species with their typification details and updated/current nomenclature status of basidiom...

Conventionally, fungi have been featured heavily in the production of food and beverages, biofertilizers, biopesticides, industrial enzymes, and antibiotics. However, with the advent of novel technologies with high-throughput capabilities, there is a boon in fungal biotechnology. With the developments in molecular life sciences, these technologies...

Sri Lanka is an island nation with diverse ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, grasslands, and vast coasts. The country showcases a rich aquatic ecosystem that includes both coastal and inland waters. Freshwater habitats such as rivers, streams, marshes, and man-made reservoirs are the host for diverse fungal communities. However, documentatio...

Fungal diversity in hot springs in Sri Lanka remains unveiled. Thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi inhabiting hot springs are vital in industrial biotechnology due to their ability to provide thermostable enzymes. Hence, the present study aims to find the fungal diversity in the Kanniya and Rangiri hot springs in Sri Lanka. The water and sediment...

Due to its topographic and climatic heterogeneity, Sri Lanka is an island with high biodiversity; nonetheless, the diversity of fungi in Sri Lanka is understudied and under documented. A recent study estimated that Sri Lanka is home to over 31,000 fungal species, however, only ca. 3000 taxa are currently known, and this estimation was mainly based...

High postharvest losses occur in bananas due to the banana anthracnose disease. Application of cinnamon oil against the banana anthracnose pathogen is an effective solution for the postharvest losses. The volatile antifungal properties of cinnamon oil were evaluated against Colletotrichum musae, the causal agent of banana anthracnose disease under...

This paper provides an updated classification of the Kingdom Fungi (including fossil fungi) and fungus-like taxa. Five-hundred and twenty-three (535) notes are provided for newly introduced taxa and for changes that have been made since the previous outline. In the discussion, the latest taxonomic changes in Basidiomycota are provided and the cl...