Diversity of culturable ericoid mycorrhizal fungi of Rhododendron decorum in Yunnan, China

Abstract

The diversity of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi isolated from Rhododendron decorum Franch. in Yunnan, southwestern China, was examined for the first time. In total 300 hair-root samples were collected from 13 R. decorum individuals in two adjacent wild population sites and one cultivated population site. Two hundred eighteen slow-growing isolates were obtained; the ability of some to form ericoid mycorrhiza was tested in vitro. One hundred twenty-five isolates formed hyphal structures morphologically corresponding to ericoid mycorrhiza, and these were determined by morphological and molecular means to belong to 12 fungal species. There were hardly any differences in species among the three sampled populations. The sequences of several isolates were similar to those of Oidiodendron maius and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi from Helotiales, accounting respectively for 18.4% and 24.8% of the total culturable ericoid mycorrhizal fungi assemblage. Dark septate endophytes were detected in the sampled hair roots by microscopy.

• ericoid mycorrhiza
• Oidiodendron maius
• Rhizoscyphus ericae
• Rhododendron decorum
• southwestern China

We thank Professor Yun Wang, Professor Andrew (F.A.) Smith, Professor David Rankin and Professor Marc-André Selosse for valuable comments, Dr Shannon Berch for experimenal advice. This research was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (30770139 and 2010DH011) and a project of the Ministry of Science and Technology China (2009GB2F300343).