Phylogenetic and microscopic studies in the genus Lactifluus (Basidiomycota, Russulales) in West Africa, including the description of four new species.

Dao Lamèga Maba,Annemieke Verbeken,Atsu K Guelly,Nourou S Yorou,Reinhard Agerer

doi:10.5598/imafungus.2015.06.01.02

Dao Lamèga Maba, Annemieke Verbeken + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.5598/imafungus.2015.06.01.02

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Abstract

Despite the crucial ecological role of lactarioid taxa (Lactifluus, Lactarius) as common ectomycorrhiza formers in tropical African seasonal forests, their current diversity is not yet adequately assessed. During the last few years, numerous lactarioid specimens have been sampled in various ecosystems from Togo (West Africa). We generated 48 ITS sequences and aligned them against lactarioid taxa from other tropical African ecozones (Guineo-Congolean evergreen forests, Zambezian miombo). A Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree was inferred from a dataset of 109 sequences. The phylogenetic placement of the specimens, combined with morpho-anatomical data, supported the description of four new species from Togo within the monophyletic genus Lactifluus: within subgen. Lactifluus (L. flavellus), subgen. Russulopsis (L. longibasidius and L. pectinatus), and subgen. Edules (L. melleus). This demonstrates that the current species richness of the genus is considerably higher than hitherto estimated for African species and, in addition, a need to redefine the subgenera and sections within it.

Highlights

More attention is being paid to tropical fungi, the species richness of tropical macrofungi remains unclear
This demonstrates that the current species richness of the genus is considerably higher than hitherto estimated for African species and, in addition, a need to redefine the subgenera and sections within it
Russulaceae are among the commonest ectomycorrhizal macrofungi in West African forest ecosystems (Verbeken & Buyck 2001, van Rooij et al 2003, Rivière et al 2007, Verbeken & Walleyn 2010, Bâ et al 2012, Maba et al 2013, 2014, Sanon et al 2014)

Summary

Introduction

More attention is being paid to tropical fungi, the species richness of tropical macrofungi remains unclear. Russulaceae are among the commonest ectomycorrhizal macrofungi in West African forest ecosystems (Verbeken & Buyck 2001, van Rooij et al 2003, Rivière et al 2007, Verbeken & Walleyn 2010, Bâ et al 2012, Maba et al 2013, 2014, Sanon et al 2014). Recent progress in molecular investigations within Russulaceae has led to the separation of the monophyletic genera Lactifluus and Lactarius, and indicated the necessity of including West African taxa for any meaningful assessment of the diversity within this group (Verbeken et al 2011). Recent mycological investigations using West African specimens have yielded new Lactifluus and Lactarius species (van Rooij et al 2003, van de Putte et al 2009, Maba et al 2013, 2014). Previous studies have supported the high species diversity within Lactifluus in the region, compared to Lactarius, and indicated that many previously undescribed species might be expected in the region (Buyck et al 2008, Stubbe et al 2010, Verbeken et al 2011, Maba et al 2013, 2014)

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