Ectomycorrhizas and putative ecto‐mycorrhizal fungi of Afzelia africana Sm and Uapaca guineensis Müll. Arg. in southern Senegal

Abstract

SummaryEctomycorrhizas and ectomycorrhizal fungi of Afzelia africana Sm. and Uapaca guineensis Müll. Arg. are reported in forests of southern Senegal. Ectomycorrhizas occurred in dry and wet conditions, at different soil contents of available phosphorus (0–17.5 μg g−1). U. guineensis was confined to groundwater forests. Individual trees had both ecto‐ and endomycorrhizas, A. africana grew scattered in semi‐evergreen and riverside forests, whereas in the woodland it formed larger patches and could dominate the canopy. Eighteen putative ectomycorrhizal fungi grew under U. guineensis and thirty‐one under A. africana. Only six species were common to both trees, indicating an ecological and/or taxonomical selection. The fungi belonged to the following Orders: Russulales (16), Boletales (11), Agaricales (9), Cantharellales (2), Selerodermatales (2), Hymenogastrales (1), Gautieriales (1), Aphyllophorales (11). Some of them had a wide Sudano‐Zamhezian or Guineo‐Congolian distribution and reached their northern limit in Senegal.