Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) is one of the major foods in Cameroon. This study aims to identify fungi species from Cassava leaves and determine its phylogenetic relationship. Random sampling was used to collect symptomatic leaves in 20 cassava farms and cultured on PDA. Mycelia of 31 pure isolates were harvested and used for molecular analysis. DNA was extracted using the sorbitol - CTAB method and amplified using the complete ITS and partial TEF gene regions. Sequences were edited using Chromas and BLAST performed in NCBI. Neighbor-joining in MEGA 10.2 was used to generate phylograms at 1000 bootstrap. Six fungi genera were identified based on colony characteristics (Aspergillus, Candida, Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Penicillium and Trichoderma) while twenty-one fungi species were identified following molecular identification. From the ITS, nineteen fungi species were identified and grouped into fifteen genera (Aspergillus, Candida, Clonostachys, Colletotrichum, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Mucor, Nigrospora, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Phoma, Pichia, Trichoderma) while thirteen fungi species were identified from TEF belonging to ten genera (Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Clonostachys, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Lentinus, Penicillium, Trichoderma). These species formed phylograms with four monophyletic groups. This study identified fungi species from cassava leaves and determined its phylogenetic relationship which is important to devise control measures.

Keywords: Identification, Fungi species, Cassava leaves, Cultural, Molecular, Phylogeny.