LYCOPODIUM PROTHALLI AND THEIR ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI AS STUDIED IN VITRO

Freeberg , John A. (Lehigh U., Bethlehem, Pa.) Lycopodium prothalli and their endophytic fungi as studied in vitro. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(5): 530–535. Illus. 1962.—A fungus isolated from a prothallus of Lycopodium obscurum is described. This fungus was found to invade prothalli of L. complanatum, L. selago and L. cernuum. The association of the fungus with L. complanatum in vitro is such that the form of the prothallus as well as the general area of fungus invasion approaches that of prothalli in nature. Prothalli grown with the fungus on a starch medium were found to gain in weight more rapidly than prothalli grown alone. This suggests that the presumed symbiotic relationship in nature can be duplicated in vitro under certain conditions.