Abstract:
Ganoderma is an important genus of the Polyporales in the tropics. Identification of tropical
species has mainly been based on morphology, which has led to misidentification. This study
aimed to elucidate the diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Ganoderma isolates from
different hosts in Cameroon using morphological and molecular techniques. Analyses of
basidiocarp morphology and the internal transcribed spacer and mitochondria small subunit were
undertaken for 28 isolates from five plant species. The results show that the isolates belong to
eight species. Three of the species were identified to species level; of these only G. ryvardense
has been previously described from Cameroon while G. cupreum and G. weberianum are new
records. The five remaining species did not match with any previously described species and
have been designated as Ganoderma with different species affinities.
