DIVERSITY OF FLESHY MACRO FUNGI IN MANGROVE FOREST REGIONS OF BANGLADESH

Mangrove (Sundarban), the largest single block of tidal halophytic forest in the world, located in the south western part of Bangladesh. The forest lies a little south to the Tropic of Cancer between the latitudes 21°30'N and 22°30'N, and longitudes 89°00'E and 89°55'E and also lies on the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta at the point where it merges with the Bay of Bengal. A total of 72 macro fungal samples were collected and identified to 21 genera and 32 species. The dominant species were Agaricus campestris, Agaricus xanthodermus, Agaricus silvicola, Agaricus aungustus, Agaricus arvensis, Agaricus bitorquis, Coprinus silvaticus, Coprinus plicatilis, Marasamius sp., Marasamius siccus, Marasmius nigrodiscus, Marasmiellus albuscorticis, Volvariella hypopithys, Volvariella specios, Crepidotus alabamenis and Crepidotus applanatus. The maximum frequency (75%) was recorded for Agaricus silvicola, Lepiota sp., Marasmiellus albuscorticus and Volveriella speciosa. The maximum density was 287.5% recorded for Coprinus silvicatus. The predominant families were Agaricaceae, Marasmiaceae, Pluteaceae, Crepidotaceae and Mycenaceae. The specimens were deposited to the Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University Herbarium of Macro Fungi (SHMF). This is the first investigation on fleshy mushrooms flora recorded from mangrove forest regions of Bangladesh.