Armillaria sinapina in herbaceous plant material from a peatland in Alberta, Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Botany
• Main Authors: Thormann, Markus N, Myrholm, Colin L, Mallett, Ken I
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2001
• Subjects: Plant Science; Canada; Carex aquatilis
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b01-032; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b01-032

Armillaria sinapina Bérubé & Dessureault mycelium was isolated once from living Carex aquatilis Wahlenb. rhizomes, twice from decomposing C. aquatilis leaves, and three times from decomposing Salix planifolia Pursh leaves in a southern boreal sedge-dominated fen in Alberta, Canada. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses of the IGS-1 region with the AluI restriction enzyme were used to identify the isolates, because conspicuous, epigeous basidiomes could not be found in or near the fen. During these analyses, two previously unpublished fragment patterns for A. sinapina were found, consisting of 399–240–135 base pairs (bp) and 399–240–183–135 bp. Interspecific somatic incompatibility and interfertility tests confirmed the identifications obtained from the RFLP analyses. This is the first report of an annulate species of Armillaria being actively involved in the colonization and decomposition of herbaceous plant material in an ecosystem having only an organic soil horizon. Surveys for species of Armillaria should be expanded to include peatlands and herbaceous plant materials, because they may serve as vast potential biomass and genetic diversity reservoirs for this genus.Key words: peatland, Carex rhizomes, Salix leaves, RFLP, interspecific somatic incompatibility, interfertility.