The distribution of Epichloe typhina in natural plant populations of the host plant Calamagrostis purpurea

Abstract

The distribution of the systemic fungus Epichloe tvphina was studied in natural populations of the host grass Calamagrostis purpurea By searching for stroma in field and dissecting and staining plant parts in the lab I found that E typhina was only present in nutrient rich and more wet habitats and totally absent from nutrient poor areas A greenhouse experiment showed that under high nutrient conditions infected plants produced significantly more shoots than did healthy plants, while no difference was found when plants were grown m low nutrient conditions Thus, the results suggest that the occurrence as well as the effect of E typhina is strongly affected by environmental factors similar to the case of other systemic diseases, such as rusts and smuts