Assessment Notes

Justification

With records spread across East and Southeast Asia, Cantharellus omphalinoides is a widespread species. While it is likely to be in decline as a result of ongoing forest loss, with a paucity on information on the full distribution of the species it is not possible to accurately estimate the rate of decline. However, in some parts of its range it occurs in areas with relatively little forest cover loss, and so with the available information the rate of decline is not expected to meet the thresholds for consideration as threatened. Therefore, C. omphalinoides is assessed as Least Concern, but further surveys are urgently needed to get a clearer indication of the population trend, in case it may warrant a higher threat category.

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Geographic range

This species was initially described as growing within Borneo (Corner 1976). It has also been recorded from the Pasoh Forest Reserve in Peninsular Malaysia (Watling et al. 2002), Yunnan, China (Zhao et al. 2021), and there are georeferenced occurrences from Japan and non-georeferenced occurrences from Malaysia and Indonesia reported in GBIF (2024). Given these records, it is presumably widespread throughout East and Southeast Asia.

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Population and Trends

With such a wide potential distribution, the population size is likely to be very large. Ongoing threats, particularly in Southeast Asia, are likely to be causing declines, but without further information on the full distribution of this species it is not possible to accurately estimate the rate of decline, and indeed in parts of the known range the rate of forest cover loss is relatively low (see World Resources Institute 2024).

Population Trend: Decreasing

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Habitat and Ecology

The type collection of this species, from Malaysian Borneo, was observed growing on rotting wood (Corner 1976) and has also been reported within the Pasoh Forest Reserve (Watling et al. 2002). Its presence further north in Asia (e.g. Japan) suggests an ability to persist in the temperate realm too.

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Threats

Based on its collection from Southeast Asia, where widescale loss of forest cover is ongoing (see World Resources Institute 2024), it is reasonable to assume that it is under threat of deforestation and clearance for agriculture (e.g. Curran et al. 2004, Shevade and Loboda 2019).

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Conservation Actions

Further research is needed into the localities of wild subpopulations of this species in order to accurately assess its population trend and potential threats. Work to confirm its potential uses would be helpful too.

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Use and Trade

This species is presumably considered either edible or medicinal in part of its range (see Zhao et al. 2021), but further investigation is required.

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Source and Citation

Westrip, J.R.S. & Liddle, T.A. 2025. Cantharellus omphalinoides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T269706693A269706695. Accessed on 23 November 2025.

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• Country occurrence