Interfertility between Armillaria cepistipes and Armillaria sinapina : Root and Butt Rots

Uppsala

International Union of Forest Research Organizations, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

1994

S. 489-497

11 Lit. Ang.

Bandaufführung

13462

73721

European strains of Armillaria cepistipes were reported to be interfertile with American strains of Armillaria sinapina, and with another Armillaria species, NABS X. Armillaria cepistipes is also reported to have a high percentage of interfertility with NABS XI. These findings raise some doubts about using different latin binomials for species that can mate together. We have investigated this phenomenon by mating 24 haploid isolates of European Armillaria cepistipes with 23 isolates of Armillaria sinapina from North America and Asia. Individual pairings were independently performed at least once at Universite Laval, Canada and at INRA Clermont-Ferrand, France. From the interspecific pairings performed at Laval, 2 were positive and 7 were ambiguous for a total of 2.1% of all the pairings. From the 506 pairings realised at Clermont-Ferrand, 10 were positive and 24 were ambiguous for a total of 6.7%. The differences in the results may be explained by the differences in the type and concentrations of malt extract used. Low levels of interfertility between Armillaria cepistipes and Armillaria sinapina may result from the abscence of genetic barriers that are usually present between sympatric species. This low level of interfertility support using different species denominations and reflects differences in morphology, distribution and habitat.