Fungal Endophyte Diversity in Sarracenia

Fungal endophytes were isolated from 4 species of the carnivorous pitcher plant genus Sarracenia: S. minor, S. oreophila, S. purpurea, and S. psittacina. Twelve taxa of fungi, 8 within the Ascomycota and 4 within the Basidiomycota, were identified based on PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) with taxonomic identity assigned using the NCBI nucleotide megablast search tool. Endophytes are known to produce a large number of metabolites, some of which may contribute to the protection and survival of the host. We speculate that endophyte-infected Sarracenia may benefit from their fungal associates by their influence on nutrient availability from within pitchers and, possibly, by directly influencing the biota within pitchers

Can Ectoparasites Be Implicated in the Spread of Pseudogymnoascus destructans?

Real-time PCR detected Pseudogymnoascus destructans associated with ectoparasites collected from three mist-netted free-flying bats (two gray bats, Myotis grisescens; one Indiana bat, Myotis sodalis) in late August to early September 2016 from Kentucky, US, a state impacted by white-nose syndrome. Presence of viable conidia could implicate ectoparasites as possible vectors of white-nose syndrome

Taxonomic Relationships of Some Sarracenia spp. (Sarraceniaceae) are not Deducible Based on Palynology

Volume: 37Start Page: 75End Page: 7

In vitro Propagation of Roridula gorgonias (Roridulaceae)

Volume: 37Start Page: 86End Page: 8

Representational phylogeny showing the taxonomic distribution of fungal endophytes isolated from <i>Sarracenia</i>.

<p>Fungi isolated in this study are denoted by an asterisk [*] following the taxa name.</p

Fungal endophyte isolates from <i>Sarracenia</i> identified based on sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA).

a<p>GenBank accessions having the greatest identity (>97%) to the <i>Sarracenia</i> endophytes based on megablast of ITS rDNA sequences. Consideration was given only to accessions with voucher strains. All megablast ITS rDNA queries identified GenBank accessions with E-values of zero, except for endophyte strain SPs5-1, which was most similar to basidiomycete accession EU622841 but with an E-value of 1e-176.</p>b<p>Three different <i>C. gloeosporioides</i> alleles were identified. Alleles #1 and #2 differed only at two nucleotide positions, while they both differed from allele #3 at 11 nucleotide positions.</p

A reversible smoke-induced secondary dormancy in Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) seed

Volume: 43Start Page: 82End Page: 9

Sagittal section of <i>Sarracenia purpurea</i> illustrating the 5 Hooker zones.

<p>Zone 1, attraction; zone 2, conduction; zone 3, glandular; zone 4, digestion/absorption; zone 5, no known function although it has some similarity to zone 3. (Photograph © Barry Rice, Sarracenia.com).</p