Assessment Notes

Justification

Fragiliporia fragilis is a resupinate fungus found in China, that was described for the first time in 2015. Only five sites have been reported so far, but due to its wide distribution and potential large area of appropriate habitat, its population size is estimated at 20,000 mature individuals. There is no evidence of a population decline and it is possible that the species has been overlooked, especially since it was only described in 2015. Therefore, the species is assessed as Least Concern (LC) .

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Taxonomic notes

This is the only member of the Fragiliporiaceae monotypic family, which was separated from other Polyporales families based on phylogenetic analysis and morphologically distinct characters of Fragiliporia fragils (Zhao et al. 2015).

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Geographic range

This species has been recorded across southern China, in the Provinces of Yunnan (Gaoligongshan Biosphere Reserve and Ailaoshan Nature Reserve), Zhejiang (Tianmushan Biosphere Reserve) and Guizhou (Fanjingshan Biosphere Reserve) (Zhao et al. 2015, GBIF.org 2022).

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Population and Trends

Fragiliporia fragilis has been recorded in two sites in Yunann, one in Zhejiang, one in Guizhou, and one undisclosed location, between 2004 and 2013 (Zhao et al. 2015). In one site in Yunnan, two specimens were collected, presumably in different logs. F. fragilis grows on rotting wood of Alnus and other angiosperm trees, which gives this species a possible large area of appropriate habitat. Assuming two mature individuals exist per functional individual and considering the large area of appropriate habitat and low detectability of the species (as well as possible confusions with other polypore species), we estimate a population size of 20,000 mature individuals, following Dahlberg and Mueller (2011) guidelines, assuming a x 1,000 multiplier for unknown locations, two logs per site and two mature individuals per functional individual. There is no evidence of a population decline.

Population Trend: Unknown

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Habitat and Ecology

Fragiliporia fragilis is a saprotrophic, annual, resupinate, poroid fungus. Its specimens were found growing on stumps or fallen wood of Alnus and other angiosperm trees in southern China, which harbours mostly subtropical to tropical vegetation (Zhao et al. 2015).

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Threats

China is currently experiencing considerable losses in natural area. Yunann, one of the provinces where Fragiliporia fragilis was found, is actually one of the areas with a higher number of threatened forests in China (Chen et al. 2020). However, given that the species was found in nature reserves, its known subpopulations are not expected to be threatened, but it is unknown if there are any subpopulations outside of protected areas that could be being impacted.

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Conservation Actions

The known subpopulations for these species were found in nature reserves. An increase in search efforts is needed to better understand its distribution, population size and trends, as well as its ecology. Though Fragiliporia fragilis was recorded growing on Alnus sp. rotting wood, other tree species were only identified as angiosperms, so more detailed descriptions of its habitat preferences would be helpful to estimate the extent of appropriate habitat.

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Source and Citation

Cunha, S.P. & Gonçalves, S.C. 2025. Fragiliporia fragilis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T266002150A266019928. Accessed on 25 November 2025.

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• Country occurrence