Spore viability and germination of some ectomycorrhizal fungi from New Zealand and implications for forest restoration

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are critical to the establishment of many plant species and an important consideration in ecological restoration of southern beech (Nothofagaceae) forest. However, information on spore viability and storage is lacking for EMF taxa associated with southern beech. This study tested the viability and germination of spores from fruiting bodies collected during autumn and spring from mountain beech forest, Otago, New Zealand. Nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences matched autumn collections to the EMF genera Cortinarius, Inocybe and Russula, but all spring collections were an undescribed hypogeous taxon resembling the native EMF genus Hysterangium, referred to here as Hysterangiaceae ‘Motatapu’. We investigated propidium iodide as a spore viability test, and compared spore germination in water vs glucose, in different temperature and light regimes, and between freshly collected spores and spores from fruiting bodies dried at 30°C or frozen at −20°C. Propidium iodide did not stain all devitalised spores, so may be unreliable for quantifying viability of fresh spores. Spore germination in water was