Abstract
This study reports 11 species of macrofungi in the botanical garden and arboretum of Mangalore University. Frequent species include Clathrus delicatus, Entoloma serrulatum and Tetrapyrgos nigripes in the botanical garden, and Collybia aurea and T. nigripes in the arboretum. Five species are edible (Collybia aurea, Lepista sp., Russula adusta, R. atropurpurea and Termitomyces microcarpus), one is medicinal (T. microcarpus) and two are ectomycorrhizal (Russula adusta and R. atropurpurea) with critically endangered endemic tree species Vateria indica (Dipterocarpaceae). Some macrofungi grow on bark, woody litter and leaf litter, while others were found on typical lateritic soils with organic matter. Termitomyces microcarpus was common in the faecal pellets of termites in the botanical garden. Brief descriptions of species based on field and laboratory observations, along with their substrates and distribution, are given.
Highlights
The Western Ghats are known for heritage value with vast landscapes and forests endowed with native and indigenous plants
Among the 11 macrofungi documented in this survey, Clathrus delicatus, Entoloma serrulatum and Tetrapyrgos nigripes in botanical garden and Collybia aurea and T. nigripes in arboretum were frequent, while Russula adusta, R. atropurpurea and Termitomyces microcarpus were common (Table 1)
The present study revealed several edible and ectomycorrhizal macrofungi from the lateritic regions of the southwestern coast of India complementing many studies carried out in the Western Ghats, west coast, and lateritic plateau of eastern India (e.g., Purkayastha & Chandra 1985; Natarajan et al 2005; Farook et al 2013; Pradhan et al 2010, 2013a,b; Manna & Roy 2014; Senthilarasu 2014; Greeshma et al 2015; Karun & Sridhar 2016)
Summary
The Western Ghats are known for heritage value with vast landscapes and forests endowed with native and indigenous plants. These forests are especially rich in flowering trees, with 1,720 recorded species (in 54 genera) of which 8% (135 species) are endemic (Nair & Daniel 1986; Nayar 1996; Shetty & Kaveriappa 2001a). An illustrated monograph by Mohanan (2011) documented up to 550 species in 166 genera and 51 families from Kerala State The aim of this current study was to document interesting macrofungi in these botanical gardens, and provide a brief description of each species along with information regarding distribution and economic value
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