Assessment Notes

Justification

Cantharellus tomentosus is a chanterelle of miombo woodland. Described from the East African woodland of Tanzania it is suspected that it could be a widespread species. Therefore, despite the likelihood that it is in decline as a result of ongoing anthropogenic threats to its habitat, it is not thought to approach the thresholds for consideration as threatened under any criterion. Thus C. tomentosus is assessed as Least Concern.

---

Geographic range

Cantharellus tomentosus was described from Tanzania in the Morogoro district, in miombo woodland (Buyck et al. 2000), and is known under the local name of Wipatwe in the Southern Highlands (Chelela et al. 2015). It is likely that this species is much more widespread than it is possible to judge, based on available records from the country (I. Olariaga Ibarguren pers. comm. 2022), and MNHN and Chagnoux (2023) do hold a collection of a potential new variety of this species from Zimbabwe. Confirmation of the taxonomic status of this would then confirm whether the species has the potential to be widespread across miombo woodland in Africa.

---

Population and Trends

Ongoing threats to miombo woodland (e.g. Abdallah and Monela 2007) are likely to be causing a population decline. With the potential for this species to have a wide distribution range, it is assumed that the population size would be large; despite the paucity of published, documented records so far.

Population Trend: Decreasing

---

Habitat and Ecology

This is a species that is only found in miombo woodland (Buyck et al. 2013), and has been recorded in woodland containing a variety of potential ectomycorrhizal host plants (Brachystegia spiciformis, Combretum molle, Dalbergia nitidula, Markhamia obtusifolia and Terminalia myrtifolia) (Buyck et al. 2000 updated to taxonomy of POWO 2023).

---

Threats

There is ongoing loss of miombo woodland, in particular for agriculture and logging for charcoal (e.g. Abdallah and Monela 2007), and the loss of its ectomycorrhizal hosts will impact the fungal species.

---

Conservation Actions

Further research is required to ascertain the true range of the species, in particular to investigate to what extent it can be found in miombo woodland outside of Tanzania. This should involve taxonomic and genetic study of potential specimens collected outside of the country.

---

Use and Trade

This species is thought to be edible (Kabacia and Muchane 2023), although some local communities may consider it inedible (Chelela et al. 2015). It also has antioxidant properties (Tibuhwa 2014).

---

Source and Citation

Westrip, J.R.S. 2025. Cantharellus tomentosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T269710878A269710880. Accessed on 25 November 2025.

---

• Country occurrence