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Parasitism of pollen as a nutritional source for lignicolous Basidiomycota and other fungi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 1997

LEONARD J. HUTCHISON
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
G. L. BARRON
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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Abstract

On water agar, hyphae of many fungi are attracted to viable pollen grains of Pinus nigra. Hyphae of 41 of 157 species tested could penetrate the pollen grains, ramify within the interior and consume the contents. It is proposed that pollen serves as a supplementary seasonal source of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, for litter- and wood-decaying members of the Basidiomycota.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The British Mycological Society 1997

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