This research discovered and described four new species of mushrooms from the genus Strobilomyces found in tropical China’s Hainan Island. These fungi form important partnerships with trees in forest ecosystems, helping maintain forest health. The study used both physical characteristics and DNA analysis to confirm these were previously unknown species. Impacts on everyday life: • Helps document and preserve Earth’s biodiversity • Advances our understanding of forest ecosystem relationships • Contributes to knowledge of fungi that could have future applications in medicine or biotechnology • Assists in forest conservation efforts by identifying important species • Provides baseline data for monitoring environmental changes in tropical forests