The ectomycorrhizal association of Tricholoma matsutake and two allied species, T. bakamatsutake and T. fulvocastaneum, with native hosts in subtropical China

ABSTRACT

Accurate identification of edible ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushrooms and their host trees in nature is key to commercial production for consumption. For the first time we describe the ectomycorrhizal association of the three most common species of edible matsutake mushrooms with their native host trees in Yunnan Province in China. We collected ECM samples from three different localities in subtropical forests known to be highly productive areas of Tricholoma. Additionally, we collected basidiomata of Tricholoma from the field and markets in Yunnan. ECM samples were analyzed using morphological and molecular methods. We conducted phylogenetic analyses of nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and analyzed the intergenic spacer of cpDNA psbA-trnH to identify basidiomata and plant hosts, respectively. Three species of Tricholoma were identified: T. bakamatsutake, T. fulvocastaneum, and T. matsutake. Four ECM associations in the study area were detected: Tricholoma bakamatsutake + Castanopsis tibetana, T. fulvocastaneum + C. tibetana, T. fulvocastaneum + Pinus yunnanensis, and T. matsutake + P. yunnanensis. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the ECM associations are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis
• matsutake mushrooms
• morphology
• shiros
• southwestern China

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

M. Herrera wishes to thank biologist David Ramos (Instituto de Ecología A.C.) for suggestions in the ectomycorrhizae description and the editing of the images and Alexis Guerin-Laguette, Gregory Bonito, and Christopher St. Cavish and three anonymous reviewers for the revision and helpful comments that improved the manuscript. The authors thank the China-Latin America Young Scientists Exchange Program (2017).

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 31961143010) China-Latin America Young Scientists Exchange Program (2017) of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.