New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts
Endophytes in New Zealand grass seeds: occurrence and implications for conservation of grass species
M. P. Rolston
AgResearch
P.O. Box 60
Lincoln, New Zealand
A. V. Stewart
PGG Seeds
P.O. Box 3100
Christchurch, New Zealand
G. C. M. Latch
D. E. Hume
AgResearch
Private Bag 11008
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract Grass seeds from 24 native species and 3 introduced, naturalised species were collected during the summer of 1999/2000 in New Zealand, mainly from the South Island. These species represented 12 grass genera. Of the native grasses, 19 are endemic. These seeds were examined for the presence of Epichloë or Neotyphodium endophytic fungi. No endophyte was detected in any of the 64 seed collections of native species. These included seven native Poa and two native Festuca species, and contrast with the common occurrence of endophytes in Northern Hemisphere and South American populations of these genera. This may be linked to the time of colonisation of these grasses by endophytes occurring after the isolation of New Zealand from continental populations, or low herbivore pressure (vertebrate and invertebrate) in New Zealand. No endophyte was found in Elymus recticetus, a naturalised grass species introduced from Australia. However, endophyte (E. festucae) was detected in 6 of the 20 naturalised Festuca ovina and F. rubra collections, of which 4 had 82-87% endophyte-infected seed. Endophyte is known to be widespread in roadside collections of the two agricultural species Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and Schedonorus phoenix (syn. F. arundinacea, tall fescue). Published records show that to date the only native New Zealand species known to contain endophyte is Echinopogon ovatus. Germplasm conservation of native grasses by seed, and the regimes required to maintain viable endophyte in such collections, needs to ensure that seed is stored between 0°C and -15°C, or at 5°C in aluminium laminated packaging.
Keywords endophyte; Epichloë; Neotyphodium; Elymus; Festuca; Poa; native grasses; seed storage
B02014 Received 27 February 2002; accepted 24 June 2002; published 11 September 2002
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2002, Vol. 40: 365-372
0028-825X/02/4003-0365 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002
PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (68K) | screen-quality (58K)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
