THE ABILITY OF TILLETIA-FUSCA TO HYBRIDIZE WITH THE WHEAT BUNT SPECIES UNDER AXENIC CONDITIONS

Members of the Tilletia fusca complex, a group of bunt fungi occurring on wild grass hosts, were successfully hybridized with the wheat bunt species T. controversa, T. laevis and T. tritici under axenic conditi ons. A bunt species on Apera interrupta, a previously unknown host for Tilletia spp., also hybridized with T. controversa. Hybrid teliospore s were more variable than either parental species in surface ornamenta tion. Teliospores germinated in four of the six crosses that produced teliospores although the germination rate was less than 1%. This is th e first report of the ability of the T. fusca complex to hybridize wit h wheat bunt species, and the first demonstration of interspecific hyb ridization in Tilletia species under axenic conditions.