Similar small-statured, frequently excentrically stipitate species of Gymnopilus and Galerina occurring in the same habitat in Australia appear to form a continuum morphologically. As a result of detailed examination of field and microscopic characters, and an analysis of their styrylpyrone pigment content by thin layer chromatography, a satisfactory distinction can be made between similar species of the two genera. Three new species of Gymnopilus subgenus Gymnopilus, G. corticophilus, G. tomentulosus and G. tasmanicus are described and compared with G. eucalyptorum, G. tyallus and G. moabus. These six species are also compared and contrasted with three excentrically stipitate Galerina species, Ga. eucalyptorum and two new species Ga. incrustata and an unusual pink Ga. bulliformis.

The microscopic structure of herbarium material of alpine and arctic species of Russula sect. Xerampelinae from Europe and Greenland was studied. Based on our observations two taxa with prevailingly red pilei are accepted from the area: R. subrubens and R. pascua. Other related species occurring in arctic areas are R. cicatricata with a coppery coloured pileus and R. clavipes with a prevailingly greenish olivaceous pileus. As a consequence of the study of type material, R. chamiteae var. chamiteae and R. chamiteae var. microsperma are synonymized with R. subrubens. No European collections could be referred to R. oreina, and accordingly we suggest that this species is absent from Europe.

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against the mycelium of a litter-decomposing basidiomycete, Mycena galopus, for use in an autecological study of the fungus in forest litter. Two clones (3E12 and 6D8), produced using particulate and whole-cell extracts of the fungus respectively, cross-reacted with several species including other Mycena species, non-Mycena basidiomycetes, zygomycetes and anamorphs or mitosporic fungi. Of these clones, 3E12 appeared to be directed against an unidentified β-glucan and 6D8 against chitin. A third clone (6E1), using as immunogen latex collected in the field from stipes of the basidiomes, was specific to M. galopus mycelium in ELISA and immunofluorescence tests and was probably directed against an unidentified polysaccharide.

Morphological characters and genetic markers from 35 single-ascospore isolates of a Venturia sp. collected from Populus tremula were analysed. The morphological data were compared with the literature, and genetic markers were amplified for comparison with isolates of V. populina, V. macularis and V. ditricha. According to ascospore morphology the fungus resembled V. populina, but the morphology of the conidia was closer to Pollaccia radiosa (the anamorph of V. macularis). Analysis of 49 RAMS markers, variation within the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of the ribosomal gene cluster and a single marker locus derived from RAMS fingerprint suggested that the Venturia is a previously undescribed species.

Gilmaniella bambusae sp. nov., from senescent culms of Bambusa tuldoides in Hong Kong, is described and illustrated. It differs from other species of Gilmaniella in having small conidia and conidiogenous cells with a verrucose wall. A key to and a synopsis of the known species of Gilmaniella is provided.

Isolates of Tiarosporella parca from needles of Picea abies growing in Lapland, southern Finland, southern Norway and Switzerland were compared with each other by using their combined fatty acid and sterol profiles (FAST) and randomly amplified microsatellite (RAMS) markers.

Nineteen fatty acids and four sterols were recorded, nine of which appeared only at low amounts (<1% of the total amount of extractives). In a discriminant analysis of their FAST-profiles the isolates could be separated into three non-overlapping groups: (i) Lappish and southern Norwegian, (ii) Southern Finnish and (iii) Swiss isolates. The Swiss isolates form the most distinct group with 11 out of 23 extractives significantly different from those of the other geographical populations.

In RAMS analysis two out of five primers tested with ten isolates resulted in polymorphic banding patterns. Using these two primers 26 variable markers in eight size areas were observed which allowed separation of the 39 isolates investigated into 35 different haplotypes. Thus, only four pairs of identical isolates were observed. Determination of the genetic diversity among the isolates revealed that 59% of variation was due to variance within populations, 27% was due to variance between populations within geographical regions and 13% was due to variation between regions.

Hence, both methods show a differentiation of the European T. parca population according to geographical origin.

Plating of individual soil particles onto an agar medium, poured into Petri dishes, is a method of studying fungal distribution between microhabitats in soil. The substitution of Petri dishes with well plates reduced both the required amount of agar medium and labour. A microshovel prepared from an injection needle facilitated the handling of individual, small size, soil particles (0·25–0·50 mm). The described method was evaluated in a study of the distribution of Fusarium within two wheat field soils from Ås, Norway, and from Østermarie, Denmark. Four types of organic particles were distinguished: light coloured root pieces, dark coloured root pieces, straw pieces, and miscellaneous organic pieces. The dominating species were F. culmorum, F. oxysporum and F. avenaceum. Aspects on the value of the method with regard to fungal substrate preference are discussed.

Barley plants experimentally infected with Erysiphe graminis f. sp. hordei were subjected to a curative treatment with tetraconazole (TC), to find out if the thickenings induced by the treatment in the fungal and host cell walls might be related to an increased production of chitosan. The presence of chitosan was assessed by colorimetric method, histological staining and ultrastructural localization with chitosanase bound to colloidal gold. The results showed that after TC treatment the amount of chitosan increase in the cell walls of hyphae and haustoria, and also in the haustorial encasements.

Tuber borchii mycelium (strain 1BO) is able to utilise glucose, fructose or mannitol in the culture medium as a carbohydrate source. Since sugars not only function as a metabolic resource and structural constituent of cells, but also act as important regulators of various processes, we investigated if high sugar concentrations could influence fungal growth and development. The studies performed in this paper revealed that fructose or mannitol used at high concentration (50 g l−1) in the culture medium do not influence the growth and the biochemical responses of fungus but the growth of T. borchii mycelium is subject to glucose repression. In experiments with a high glucose concentration (50 g l−1) and with 2-deoxyglucose, a non-metabolisable glucose analogue, the growth of T. borchii was halved with respect to the control (10 g l−1 of glucose). The morphological and biochemical analyses revealed that the hyphae were metabolically and functionally active, but the activity of mannitol dehydrogenase was reduced to one-third in the high glucose treatment. This is the first evidence of glucose repression of growth and activity in the ascomycetous ectomycorrhizal fungus T. borchii.

Binucleate Rhizoctonia (BNR) was isolated (isolate CFM1) from cabbage grown in soil from pot cultures of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Glomus mosseae, grown on subterranean clover, and was identified as AG-Bo by means of morphological and molecular characteristics. A PCR-based assay was developed to detect BNR in roots and soils of pot cultures of AM fungi. Two oligonucleotide primers (CF1f and CF2r) were designed from the ITS region of the rDNA sequence of BNR AG-Bo isolate CFM1. These allowed amplification of a specific fragment (438 bp). Specificity of the primers was tested against several isolates of various anastomosis groups (AGs) of BNR, other related and unrelated fungal species, and roots not infected or infected with fungi. The primers amplified DNA of isolates of both BNR AG-Bo and AG-A, and were used to detect them in roots in the presence or absence of AM fungi. Nested PCR amplification using CF1f and CF2r primers has advantages over microscopic methods for detection of BNR AG-Bo or AG-A on infected roots and soils of AM pot cultures and provides a powerful tool for detection of contamination of these pot cultures.

Seventeen species of Rickia are reported from Sulawesi. Five are described: R. corylophidorum, R. mammillata, R. pocadii, R. serrulata, and R. sphindidorum. The slime mould feeding beetle family Sphindidae is reported for the first time as host for a species of the Laboulbeniales and R. minuta is recorded for the first time from a beetle, this species previously being known to parasitize only mites. For each of the reported species a detailed description with information on the known geographical distribution and host range is presented along with illustrations and a key to identification.

A list of the 242 scientific publications authored, co-authored, or edited by John Webster from 1951 to the end of 2004 is presented. The list includes papers, books, book chapters, films, and videos.

The haustorial morphology of 21 Ravenelia species, two Kernkampella species, and four leguminicolous Uredo and Uraecium species which are probably related to Ravenelia, was investigated by light microscopy. Three different kinds of interaction could be found: (1) species with haustorial complexes comprising dikaryotic haustoria and intracellular hyphae. These species showed strictly intracellular growth of the parasitic mycelium. (2) Species with only dikaryotic haustoria, and (3) species with only intracellular hyphae or monokaryotic haustoria. Complexes of dikaryotic haustoria and intracellular hyphae were found in 17 of the investigated Ravenelia species and three Uredo species. Three Ravenelia species revealed dikaryotic haustoria, and Ravenelia lonchocarpicola had only intracellular hyphae. Complexes of dikaryotic haustoria and intracellular hyphae are probably the prevalent type of parasitic interaction in Ravenelia. The investigated Kernkampella species revealed dikaryotic haustoria.

The presence of the xylariaceous genus Entonaema in Thailand is confirmed. One collection from Chiang Mai Province, E. siamensis, is described as new.

Recent field work on smut fungi in Cuba yielded one new species and, among many new records, several poorly known species which are described and illustrated. The new species, Cintractia cubensis on Rhynchospora microcephala, is characterized by rather large, dark, and finely foveolate teliospores which can germinate with basidia of only two basidial cells. The poorly known C. samanensis was found on the new host Rhynchospora fascicularis ssp. fascicularis. Entyloma guaraniticum on Bidens pilosa differs from E. bidentis on the same host by thick-walled teliospores embedded in the mesophyll of leaves deforming them. Spores of E. bidentis are smaller and do not deform the leaf. Sphacelotheca everhartii on Andropogon virginicus, S. microspora on Paspalum notatum, and S. panici-leucophaei on Trichachne insularis are transferred into Sporisorium.

This paper presents an experimental test of a model that predicts the outcome of intraspecific competition between unit-restricted decomposer fungi. The model was tested using two isolates each of two species of the mushroom genus Coprinus (Basidiomycota). The fungi were grown on yeast extract agar at several resource densities. The effect of intraspecific competition was measured as the reduction of stipe dry weight (an indicator of spore production) when an individual grows in competition with a second individual of the same species as compared to the stipe dry weight when it grows alone. Additionally, competition often caused a significant change in the growth rate of the isolates. In general, the model accurately predicted the stipe dry weight of the isolates growing in competition, but it incorrectly predicted the outcome of competition for at least one resource density for each isolate.

The ITS2 of rDNA of eight strains representing five controversial species and a variety of Cunninghamella, i.e. C. bertholletiae, C. blakesleeana, C. elegans, C. phaeospora var. phaeospora, C. phaeospora var. multiverticillata, and C. polymorpha, were amplified through PCR. The PCR products were purified and their sequences determined. Sequence variations among the three strains of C. elegans and between the two strains each of C. bertholletiae and C. polymorpha are less than 5%, while those among the other three strains each representing a different taxon as well as among these strains and the above mentioned five strains representing two different species are 14–32%. Sequence variations between each of the eight Cunninghamella strains and Rhizopus stolonifer var. lyococcos, used as outgroup, are more than 70%. These results confirm the value of sequence analyses of ITS2 rDNA in the taxonomy of Cunninghamella. C. polymorpha is proven to be synonymous with C. bertholletiae, while the others are considered to be distinct taxa. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequence data by the neighbour-joining method generally reflect the systematic relationship of different species based on morphologic studies made by our research group. The three strains of C. elegans, and the two strains each of C. bertholletiae and C. polymorpha (a synonym of C. bertholletiae) are respectively clustered in the same clade with high confidence, while the strains representing the two varieties of C. phaeospora are also clustered in the same clade though with relatively low bootstrap value and long distance which supports the establishment of the distinct varieties.

The new ascomycete Chaetosphaeria ampulliformis sp. nov. found on decaying wood of an unidentified angiosperm in Taiwan is described and illustrated. It is closely associated with an Hemicorynespora anamorph which grows mostly on the necks of the flask-shaped ascomata. This anamorph is described as Hemicorynespora multiseptata sp. nov. The relationships of these two species to others in the genera are discussed, and a key to the recognized species of Hemicorynespora is provided.

Didymium subreticulosporum, a rare species from Valencia, is described and illustrated by SEM and LM photographs, and compared to related species.