Lactifluus foetens and Lf. albomembranaceus sp. nov. (Russulaceae): look-alike milkcaps from gallery forests in tropical Africa

Abstract

The ectomycorrhizal milkcap genus Lactifluus is commonly found within Central and West African gallery forests. During field expeditions in Cameroon and Togo, several collections of white Lactifluus species were found, resembling Lactifluus foetens. Molecular and morphological research indicates that these collections belong to two unrelated species, i.e. Lactifluus foetens and an undescribed taxon. The latter is here described as Lactifluus albomembranaceus sp. nov. from the gallery forests in Central and Western Africa. In Cameroon, at least, Lactifluus albomembranaceus is a popular edible fungus that is harvested for personal consumption and offered for sale at local markets.

Lactifluus persicinus sp. nov. from the gallery forests of West Cameroon

“…From the same division, Lf. albomembranaceus was described (De Crop et al 2016). It is from this habitat that the new species described here, Lactifluus persicinus, was discovered.…”

“…In one such region, Cameroon, most studies have been located in the tropical rainforest (Douanla-Meli & Langer 2009, and little is known about milkcaps in the savannas, from which only one Lactifluus species, Lf. albomembranaceus S. De Wilde & Van de Putte, has been described (De Crop et al 2016). Southern Cameroon is dominated by closed evergreen lowland forest, while the centre of the country is dominated by deciduous woodland and shrubland (WRI 2003).…”

Updated taxonomy of Lactifluus section Luteoli: L. russulisporus from Australia and L. caliendrifer from Thailand

“…For L. russulisporus, fieldwork in 2010 and 2012 by Roy Halling and collaborators resulted in two collections of the species, which are deposited in The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden (NY) and the Queensland Herbarium (BRI). We know from earlier research De Crop et al 2016) that Halling 9398 and Wisitrassameewong 378 belong to L. subg. Gymnocarpi sect.…”

Lactifluus bicapillus (Russulales, Russulaceae), a new species from the Guineo-Congolian rainforest

“…Uapaca species mainly occur mixed with other tree species, whereas G.dewevrei forms more or less monodominant stands, mixed with an occasional Uapaca species. These trees are typical hosts for ECM fungi and Russulaceae have been repeatedly recorded as associated with these trees (Verbeken and Walleyn 2010; De Crop et al 2016; Delgat et al 2017; T.W. Henkel pers.…”

“…The milkcap genus Lactifluus is mainly distributed in the tropics (De Crop et al 2017). It is a species-rich genus with about 160 species distributed worldwide, of which the majority is found in tropical Asia (Le et al 2007b; Stubbe et al 2010; Van de Putte et al 2010), tropical Africa (Van de Putte et al 2009; Verbeken and Walleyn 2010; De Crop et al 2012, 2016; Maba et al 2014, 2015a, b; Delgat et al 2017; De Lange et al 2018) and the Neotropics (Henkel et al 2000; Miller et al 2002; Smith et al 2011; Sá et al 2013; Sá and Wartchow 2013). The genus is relatively understudied and many species remain undescribed due to this mainly tropical distribution.…”