SCUTELLOSPORA PERSICA (GLOMALES, ZYGOMYCETES), AN ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS NEW TO THE MYCOTA OF POLAND

Morphological properties of spores of Scutellospera persica are descri bed and illustrated. This fungus was recovered from the root zone of A mmophila arenaria and Petasites spurius colonizing maritime sand dunes adjacent to Swinoujscie in northwestern Poland. Scutellospora persica produces spores singly in the soil. The greyish orange to tomato red spores are globose to subglobose, (270-)337(-435) mu m diam or occasio nally ovoid, 320-390 x 365-450 mu m and have two walls: a spore wall a nd an inner wall, each consisting of two layers. The diagnostic featur e of S. persica is its outer spore wall layer being ornamented with ve ry small warts. This fungus produced spores and arbuscular mycorrhizae in single-species pot cultures with Plantago lanceolata and Sorghum v ulgare. Scutellospera persica was for the first time found in Poland w hich is the second country in Europe where the occurrence of this fung us was so far recorded.