Afrocantharellus

African Chanterelle

Afrocantharellus is a genus of cantharelloid fungi originally described as a subgenus of Cantharellus but elevated to generic rank by Tibuhwa et al. in 2012. It represents a distinct lineage of chanterelles primarily found in Africa. The genus is characterized by fruit bodies that resemble Cantharellus but are distinguished by specific morphological and molecular traits, including the absence of clamp connections in most tissues, which is a key differentiator from the core Cantharellus clade. The genus includes species that were formerly placed in Cantharellus, such as the commercially important 'C. symoensii'. While some recent phylogenetic studies (e.g., 2023) have proposed returning it to subgeneric status, it remains widely recognized as a distinct genus in major biodiversity databases like Mindat and GBIF as of 2025, representing a significant group of tropical ectomycorrhizal fungi.