RESPONSE OF TAXUS X MEDIA VAR DENSIFORMIS TO INOCULATION WITH ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI

Rooted cuttings of Taxus x media var. densiformis Rehd. were inoculate d with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Gigaspora gigantea (Nicol. & G erd.) Gerd. & Trappe or Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith and grow n for 9-15 months in a greenhouse. At the completion of the experiment s, leaves of inoculated plants contained significantly more chlorophyl l (1.3-4.1 times as much) than did noninoculated plants. In addition, mycorrhizal plants had root systems that: were significantly larger (1 .3-1.4 times) and longer (1.7-2.1 times) than nonmycorrhizal plants, a nd they possessed significantly more branch roots (1.3-2.9 times). No differences in stem diameter and height or shoot dry weight were evide nt at the end of the experiments, although the number of buds was sign ificantly greater in the cuttings inoculated with G. intraradices afte r 15 months.