Morphological and molecular characterization of Pisolithus in soil under eucalyptus plantations in Brazil

Abstract

Eighteen Pisolithus basidiomes were collected from Eucalyptus plantations in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. These basidiomes were characterized morphologically and molecularly. The basidiomes varied in shape, color and size. One of them was found underground, indicating a hypogeous fungus. The main morphological distinctive characteristic was spore ornamentation, which distinguished two groups. One group with short and erect spines was identified as Pisolithus microcarpus, and the other with long and curved spines as Pisolithus marmoratus, after analyzing the cladogram obtained by phylogenetic relationship based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of these isolates.