Assessment Notes

Justification

This species is known from only a single collection, made in the shadeway of a tropical rainforest in China in Yunnan Province. No further information regarding this species' distribution is known. This species does not appear to be threatened at this locality, however this species is known to occur in rainforest dominated in part by Pometia pinnata, which itself is threatened by logging and wood harvesting. Therefore, further research is required in order to assess to what extent this species is threatened at this locality and to determine this species' present distribution and specific habitat preferences. Until such research yields relevant information to this assessment, this species is listed as Data Deficient.

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Geographic range

This species appears to be known from only a single collection, made in China. The collection was made in Yunnan Province, in Xishuangbanna at an altitude of 570 m in 2013 (Shao et al. 2014). No further information regarding this species' current distribution appears to be known.

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Population and Trends

Due to a deficiency in information regarding this species' present distribution, it is difficult to assess the current population trends of this species. They remain uncertain until further information regarding any potential threats affecting this species and its geographic distribution arises.

Population Trend: Unknown

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Habitat and Ecology

The genus Cantharellus consists of species that form ectomycorrhizal associations with trees. This species has been found growing in a caespitose mode, under shadeway of tropical rain forest with the following dominant tree species: Mayodendron igneum (Bignoniaceae), Annona squamosa, Miliusa tenuistipitata (Annonaceae), Terminalia myriocarpa (Combretaceae), Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae). The following understory species were also frequent: Prismatomeris tetrandra (Rubiaceae), Ardisia sp. (Myrsinaceae), Pometia pinnata (Sapindaceae) and Pittosporopsis kerrii (Icacinaceae) (see Shao et al. 2014).

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Threats

No literature appears to suggest that this species is significantly threatened, however Pometia pinnata appears to be threatened by logging and wood harvesting (Thaman and Thomson 2019). It is unknown whether these threats extend to the habitat of Cantharellus hygrophoroides, and so further information is needed in order to confirm to what extent this species is threatened.

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Conservation Actions

This species may need protection of its habitat, should further research suggest that it is significantly threatened by logging and wood harvesting. Further research into this species’ present wild distribution, habitat preferences, and potential threats is therefore required in order to accurately assess this species.

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Source and Citation

Liddle, T.A. 2022. Cantharellus hygrophoroides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T189310935A217822481. Accessed on 22 November 2025.

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• Country occurrence