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

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

POVERTY AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA: THE NIGERIA EXPERIENCE

The paper argues that poverty has remained a major obstacle to sustainable development and democracy in the global South. With the return to civil rule in 1999 in Nigeria, hopes were high that the return to democracy will stem the decline of the economy and provide the citizenry with the social dividends of democracy. More than a decade after the economy is still on it’s kneels with more than half of the population living on less than one dollar per day. With the use of dependency theory the paper posited that unless the people are empowered to make choices and participate in making decisions that affects their lives sustainable socio-economic development will remain elusive in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular

The genus Lactarius s. str. (Basidiomycota, Russulales) in Togo (West Africa) : phylogeny and a new species described

Lactarius s. str. represents a monophyletic group of about 40 species in tropical Africa, although the delimitation of the genus from Lactifluus is still in progress. Recent molecular phylogenetic and taxonomic revisions have led to numerous changes in names of tropical species formerly referred to Lactarius. To better circumscribe the genus Lactarius in Togo, we combined morphological data with sequence analyses and phylogeny inference of rDNA ITS sequences. Morphological and molecular data were generated from specimens sampled in various native woodlands and riverside forests; Lactarioid- and Russula sequences from public GenBank NCBI, and UNITE are included for phylogenetic analysis. The Maximum likelihood phylogeny tree inferred from aligned sequences supports the phylogenetic position of the studied samples from Togo within the subgenera Piperites, and Plinthogali. Lactarius s. str. includes about 13 species described from West Africa, of which eight were not previously known from Togo, including one new species: Lactarius subbaliophaeus identifiable by the presence of winged basidiospores, a pallisadic pileipellis with a uprapellis composed of cylindrical cells, inconspicuous pleurocystidia, and fusiform or tortuous, often tapering apex marginal cells. It can also be recognised by a transparent white latex that turns pinkish and then blackish, and a bluish reaction of the flesh context with FeSO4. These features mentioned do not match any of the morpho-anatomically most similar species, notably L. baliophaeus and L. griseogalus

Two New Lactifluus species (Basidiomycota, Russulales) from Fazao Malfakassa National Park (Togo, West Africa)

Macro- and micromorphologic study of two milkcaps from Fazao Malfakassa National Park of Togo is supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences obtained by the extraction of ribosomal DNA of each sample. This has led to the description of two new Lactifluus species: L. fazaoensis in L. subg. Edules and L. sudanicus in L. subg. Lactifluus. The two newly proposed taxa are compared with other related African species. Lactifluus fazaoensis is closely related to L. aureifolius and L. edulis, but is characterized by the concave to infundibuliform pileus, with dry, smooth and orange to greyish orange pellis and the distant, pale yellow to pale orange lamellae. Microscopically, it shows a character that has not up to now been as distinctly observed in Lactifluus: pleurocystidia and mainly cheilocystidia are tortuous to very irregularly branched and commonly diverticulate. Lactifluus sudanicus is morphologically recognizable by its convex to plano-convex, slightly depressed pileus, with dry, tomentose, slightly pruinose and pale orange to yellowish pellis. It is closely related to L. longisporus, L. flammans and L. volemoides. Microscopically, it presents lampropalisadic pileipellis and stipitipellis, with elements of suprapellis very high and close to L. medusae. Its basidiospores are ellipsoid with irregular amyloid warts ornamentation up to 1 mu m, partially connected. The combination of these features does not match any of the species phylogenetically and morphologically close

Nutritional potential of edible Russula species from Aledjo Wildlife Reserve (AWR)

In order to contribute to the valorisation of wild fungi whose nutritional potential, although considerable, is not sufficiently known in some countries such as Togo, a study has been carried out on Russula species. The diversity of Russula species from Aledjo Wildlife Reserve has been assessed using a focused inventory in woodlands dominated by Isoberlinia doka Craib & Stapf, Isoberlinia tomentosa (Harms) Craib & Stapf, Monotes kerstingii Gilg, Uapaca togoensis Pax and gallery forests dominated by Berlinia grandiflora (Vahl) Hutch & Dalz and Uapaca guineensis Mull. Ethnomycological surveys have been carried out among Tem and Kabye, two riparian ethnic groups that are mainly represented. Biochemical analyses have been carried out using the AOAC method. Fifteen (15) taxa of edible Russula species are commonly used by Tem and Kabye people living along the Aledjo Wildlife Reserve among which thirteen (13) taxa have been identified up to species level. R. oleifera is eaten by all interviewed people in both sociolinguistic groups (Fr = 100%) followed by R. compressa (Fr = 92.31%), R. ochrocephala (Fr = 87.18%) among Tem people and R. ochrocephala (Fr = 91.67%), R. compressa (Fr = 83.33%) among Kabye people. Five (05) new species of edible Russula have been identified for the first time in Togo. The Russula species analysed have been rich in macronutrients with contents ranging from 2.88 g/100 g of dw for fat to 65.83 g/100 g of dw for total carbohydrates. In addition, these Russula species have shown a relatively high mineral content with contents ranging from 405.70 mg/100 g of dw for Ca to 2784 mg/100 g of dw for K. Furthermore, the results have revealed that Russula species analysed are a source of energy with 309.50 Kcal/100 g of dw. The edible Russula species analysed can thus contribute to food security in Togo.In order to contribute to the valorisation of wild fungi whose nutritional potential, although considerable, is not sufficiently known in some countries such as Togo, a study has been carried out on Russula species. The diversity of Russula species from Aledjo Wildlife Reserve has been assessed using a focused inventory in woodlands dominated by Isoberlinia doka Craib & Stapf, Isoberlinia tomentosa (Harms) Craib & Stapf, Monotes kerstingii Gilg, Uapaca togoensis Pax and gallery forests dominated by Berlinia grandiflora (Vahl) Hutch & Dalz and Uapaca guineensis Mull. Ethnomycological surveys have been carried out among Tem and Kabye, two riparian ethnic groups that are mainly represented. Biochemical analyses have been carried out using the AOAC method. Fifteen (15) taxa of edible Russula species are commonly used by Tem and Kabye people living along the Aledjo Wildlife Reserve among which thirteen (13) taxa have been identified up to species level. R. oleifera is eaten by all interviewed people in both sociolinguistic groups (Fr = 100%) followed by R. compressa (Fr = 92.31%), R. ochrocephala (Fr = 87.18%) among Tem people and R. ochrocephala (Fr = 91.67%), R. compressa (Fr = 83.33%) among Kabye people. Five (05) new species of edible Russula have been identified for the first time in Togo. The Russula species analysed have been rich in macronutrients with contents ranging from 2.88 g/100 g of dw for fat to 65.83 g/100 g of dw for total carbohydrates. In addition, these Russula species have shown a relatively high mineral content with contents ranging from 405.70 mg/100 g of dw for Ca to 2784 mg/100 g of dw for K. Furthermore, the results have revealed that Russula species analysed are a source of energy with 309.50 Kcal/100 g of dw. The edible Russula species analysed can thus contribute to food security in Togo.A

Two new African siblings of Pulveroboletus ravenelii (Boletaceae)

This paper sorts out the taxonomy of species affiliated with Pulveroboletus ravenelii in the Guineo-soudanian and Zambezian woodlands of Africa. Morphological and genetic characters of African Pulveroboletus collections were studied and compared to those of North American and Asian species. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the African specimens form a subclade, sister to the Asian and American taxa. Although clamp connections have previously never been reported from Pulveroboletus, all specimens of the African subclade show very small clamp connections. Two new African species, Pulveroboletus africanus sp. nov. and P. sokponianus sp. nov., are described and illustrated. Comments concerning morphology and identification, as well as distribution and ecology, are given for both species

Major clades in tropical Agaricus

International audienceAgaricus (Basidiomycota) is a genus of saprobic fungi that includes edible cultivated species such as Agaricus bisporus, the button mushroom. There has been considerable ecological, nutritional and medicinal interest in the genus, yet the extent of its diversity remains poorly known, particularly in subtropical and tropical areas. Classification of tropical species has for a large part followed the classification of temperate species. The objective of our study was to examine to what extent this system of classification is appropriate for tropical Agaricus species. Species from temperate sections were therefore compared to the major clades of tropical species using a phylogenetic approach. ITS1 + 2 sequence data from 128 species were used in the phylogenetic analysis. Specimens included four species of genera closely related to Agaricus, 38 temperate species representing the eight classical sections of the genus, and 86 putative species of Agaricus from tropical areas of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses produced relatively congruent trees and almost identical clades. Our data show that (i) only about one-third of tropical species belong to the classical sections based on temperate species; the systematics of the genus therefore needs to be expanded; (ii) among the remaining two-thirds of tropical species, those from the Americas and those from Africa and/or Asia group in distinct clades, suggesting that secondary diversification occurred in these two areas; (iii) in contrast, several clades of classical sections contain American and African + Asian species along with temperate species. In this study, we used approximately 50 distinct species from a small area of northern Thailand, most probably being novel species. This diversity indicates that Agaricus is a species-rich genus in the tropics as well as in temperate regions. The number of species and the hypothetical paleotropical origin of the genus are discussed