Abstract
The polyporales are a large order of pore fungi within the Basidiomycota (Kingdom Fungi). They are mostly found on decay wood with some edible and medicinal species and others causing diseases of trees. In Cameroon, the knowledge on the phylogeny of polyporales is limited, their historical uses as food, medicine, source of income and the sociological impacts are apparently threatened due to slow ethnomycology research drive. The aim of this study was to identify and determine the phylogenetic relationship of polyporales in the Bafut forest and document its uses to the local communities. DNA was extracted using CTAB method and amplified using primers ITS 1 and ITS4. Their identities were determined in GeneBank using BLAST and a phylogenetic analysis was done using MEGA version 7. For ethnomycological studies, a total of 180 semi structured questionnaires were used to collect information on traditional knowledge in four communities around the Bafut forest. Results from phylogenetic studies showed that, ten species were identified and belonged to seven genera comprising of the Microporus, Hexagonia, Ganoderma, Trametes, Favolus, Steccherinum and Cymatoderma which formed 7 independent monophyletic groups. Ethnomycological findings revealed that, polypores are used as food and medicine within these communities. Microporus xanthopus and Microporus vernicipes were used as food and medicine while all Trametes species were reported to be only medicinal. The Bafut people commonly called mushrooms “Boh” and those that grow on wood “Boh ti”. They usually differentiate the edible and nonedible mushroom using the term “yi kworu” and “yi tekworu”. Thus “Boh yi kworu” and “Boh yi tekworu” respectively. This study represents the first on the identification, phylogeny and uses of polyporales to the communities around the Bafut forest reserves and helps in their conservation.
Highlights
The Polyporales are an order of about 1800 species of fungi in the division Basidiomycota
Microporus vernicipes and Trametes hirsuta found in this study were related morphologically to species from Japan previously reported by Hattori (2005) who worked on the diversity of wood-inhabiting polypores in temperate forests with different vegetation types
Hexagonia tenuis was related to a species from an unknown location and formed a sister group to Favolus acervatus which is related to species from China
Summary
The Polyporales are an order of about 1800 species of fungi in the division Basidiomycota. They are commonly called Polypores, which are an important polyphyletic group of wood decaying basidiomycetes fungi with poroid hymenophores (Hibbett et al, 2007), and woody fruiting bodies called conks (Kirk et al, 2008). The order includes some (but not all) polypores as well as many corticioid fungi and a few agarics (mainly in the genus Lentinus). They have several uses with respect to their medicinal, nutritional, economic and ecological potentials. Polypores are among the most efficient decomposers of lignin and cellulose, the main components of wood recycling a major part of nutrients in forests (Li & Cui, 2013)
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