Ectomycorrhizae of Tomentella badia: description and molecular identification

Species within the genera Tomentella are among the most important ECM in forests. However, our knowledge about their functional characteristics is still rather limited. The ectomycorrhizae of Tomentella badia on Picea abies are described here in detail and compared to the non-identified ECM Piceirhiza obscura. A pseudoparenchymatous mantle formed by epidermoid cells is covered by heaps of epidermoid cells. This mantle type is regarded as a new one and designated as mantle type R. Many cells filled with dark blue contents and/or blue granules, together with clampless hyphae, are distinct characters of these ectomycorrhizae. Molecular-phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region was used for identification.