P. Hennings (1898) Fungi centro-africani: species collected by G. Schweinfurth in what is now the Republic of South Sudan: A revisit

Abstract

A revisit of the publication entitled ‘Fungi centro-africani’ by P. Hennings (1898) is presented and the 32 taxa reported are taxonomically re-evaluated. Most specimens were collected by G. Schweinfurth during his third trip (1868-1871) in the wide and politically unsettled region then known as Central Africa. Two additional species were collected by G. Ruhmer further to the north, in present-day Libya. The distribution of these specimens within the current political borders show that 24 species were observed in the recently independent Republic of South Sudan, five in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa), and one in the Republic of the Sudan. The present document also includes three species collected by G. Schweinfurth but later described by Hennings. The general layout of this contribution is similar to that of the original publication. Each taxon is introduced with the same name and reference used by Hennings. The nomenclatural status and taxonomic positions are then reviewed following recent information. The current name is cited after the original name whenever a change has occurred. Obligate synonyms are included. Facultative synonyms are sometimes included to elucidate the taxonomic history of the species. The 35 African taxa treated belong to three major groups: ascomycetes (5 spp.), hetero- (3 spp.), and homobasidiomycetes (27 spp.). Members of the last group generally have fruit bodies sufficiently large to be visible to the unaided eye. Many were described as new species by Hennings. The original names of half these taxa have undergone changes although for a few new designations are still debatable. The binomials of the remaining collections are unchanged. Thus despite over a hundred years since Hennings’ publication and the present revisit, the taxonomic status of some of these taxa still awaits re-assessment in modern terms.