Scientists have discovered a giant fungus named Dianjunus rex in the forests of Yunnan province in China. The fungus can grow up to 20 inches tall and weigh nearly 2.2 kilograms.
Its name shares part of its name with Tyrannosaurus rex, the famous dinosaur known as the king, according to CNN .
The discovery highlights how much scientists still have to learn about fungal diversity and the different forms of life found on Earth. The discovery was made during fungal diversity surveys in 2024 and 2025. The findings were reported on September 28 in the journal Frontiers in Fungal Biology.
Study co-author Indunil Senanayake, an associate professor at the Kunming Institute of Botany in China, said that people had seen the fungus but had not recognised its importance.
Scientists say D. rex is the largest known fungus in this group. Before its discovery, the largest known member was Engleromyces goetzei, a brown fungus found in Kenya. Scientists have not tested the giant fungus for toxins. The discovery gained attention after a local person sent photographs of the unusual fungus to researchers.
It can reach nearly 30 centimetres in diameter and weigh around 3.2 kilograms.
