Ectomycorrhizal fungi at tree line in the Canadian Rockies

Abstract 

Ectomycorrhizae of Picea, Abies, Dryas and Salix were collected at two tree-line sites at an altitude of 2,000–2,500 m in the Front Range of the Canadian Rockies. Six mycobionts were identified to species by direct comparison of PCR-amplified ribosomal DNA with that from locally collected sporocarps. Four of these (Cortinarius calochrous, Hydnellum caeruleum, Laccaria montana and Russula integra) are newly described symbioses. Twelve other ectomycorrhizae had no conspecific RFLP match with the sporocarps analyzed, but were identified to species, genus or family by anatomical comparison with sporocarps and literature descriptions or by phenetic clustering based on the presence or absence of restriction fragments. The majority of species identified have northern and/or montane distributions. Mycorrhizae are described on the basis of both anatomical and molecular characters.