The diversity of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi isolated from Rhododendron decorum Franch. in Yunnan, southwestern China, was examined for the first time. In total 300 hair-root samples were collected from 13 R. decorum individuals in two adjacent wild population sites and one cultivated population site. Two hundred eighteen slow-growing isolates were obtained; the ability of some to form ericoid mycorrhiza was tested in vitro. One hundred twenty-five isolates formed hyphal structures morphologically corresponding to ericoid mycorrhiza, and these were determined by morphological and molecular means to belong to 12 fungal species. There were hardly any differences in species among the three sampled populations. The sequences of several isolates were similar to those of Oidiodendron maius and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi from Helotiales, accounting respectively for 18.4% and 24.8% of the total culturable ericoid mycorrhizal fungi assemblage. Dark septate endophytes were detected in the sampled hair roots by microscopy.

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ABSTRACT. Cultivar identification is a key step to avoid the formation of homonyms and synonyms of Ginkgo biloba. In this study, a new approach based on combinational utilization of polymorphic bands produced from 6 different random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers was developed for identifying 42 Ginkgo cultivars, and a manual cultivar identification diagram that consisted of polymorphic bands produced from different RAPD primers was reported. To check the reliability and efficiency of the cultivar identification diagram, 5 randomly chosen cultivars were further tested, and the workability of the diagram was verified. This new approach will be very helpful for Ginkgo cultivar discrimination and protection, and will also be beneficial for the nursery industry for early identification of Ginkgo seedlings.