EXAMINATION OF STRUCTURE AND MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS OF SOME GRAMINICOLOUS SYMBIONTS IN GENERA EPICHLOE AND PAREPICHLOE

Structural and rDNA studies were conducted on several Asian and Africa n fungi with affinity to the genus Epichloe (Balansieae; Clavicipitace ae; Hypocreales). These species were found to be epibiotic in habit, t o produce brown to black ascomata, and to be symbionts of warm-season grasses. Epichloe spp. from Europe and North America are endophytic in habit, produce yellow to orange ascomata, and are symbionts of cool-s eason grasses. Phylogenetic studies employing the ITS1 region of the r DNA suggest that Epichloe as defined to include both endophytic and ep ibiotic species, is polyphyletic. To improve the taxonomy in this grou p of symbionts, a new genus Parepichloe is proposed to accommodate epi biotic species.