Spongispora is a new boletoid genus of the Boletaceae with Spongispora temasekensis as the type species (Wu et al., 2018; Index Fungorum, 2020). Spongispora temasekensis was first described from Singapore and has thus far been recorded from two locations in Singapore, namely, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Zhenghua Park (Anonymous, 2018; The Global Fungal Red List Initiative n.d.). It is reported to form ectomycorrhizas with Hopea odorata as its host tree (Wu et al., 2018). In Peninsular Malaysia, it has been found in an ex-tin mining area at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Research Station, Bidor, Perak (Thi et al., 2018; 2019) and on the grounds of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia at Kepong, Selangor.

At Bidor, this ectomycorrhizal fungus is also found growing under Hopea odorata, as has been reported in Singapore. At FRIM, however, it has been observed emerging from leaf litter under Dryobalanops aromatica and D. oblongifolia. So far, no further studies have been made to confirm whether this fungus forms ectomycorrhizas with a restricted or widespread range of hosts. Fruiting bodies are produced mostly singly and scattered under the host trees.

Spongispora temasekensis has a convex to broadly-plano convex pileus of 30-70 mm diameter, chocolate brown to brownish and brownish-orange. Initially its young pileus is subtomentose, later cracking into patches with age. The flesh is whitish turning pale brown very slowly upon exposure. The tubes are about 1.5 cm deep, at first whitish to cream becoming blond and yellowish brown to light brown with age. The pores are small, roundish to irregularly angular and of the same colour as the tubes when young, later becoming apricot yellow to grayish orange with age. Like the flesh, the pores turn brownish to brown when bruised. The reticulated stipe or stem is 45-70 mm tall, 8-10 mm wide, yellowish white at the apex, orange gray, brownish white, brownish orange to brownish at the base with blue mycelium (Wu et al., 2018).

Because of its rarity and recent discovery, little is known about its wild populations. Currently, Spongispora temasekensis is listed as preliminary assessed in The Global Fungal Red List Initiative for the global IUCN Red List. Thus, further studies are still required on the distribution pattern, habitat(s) and host-fungus association of this unique mushroom species.