DNA extraction and PCR amplification method suitable for fresh, herbarium-stored, lichenized, and other fungi

This paper presents a DNA extraction method suitable for fresh, herbarium-s tored, lichenized and other fungal specimens. The method is fast and reliab le, comparatively inexpensive and is suitable for obtaining PCR amplificati on quality DNA from large numbers of samples in a short time. The method ha s been tested with over 300 samples of Ascochyta, Phyllosticta, Ramalina, P armelia and Physconia. Amplifiable fungal DNA was extracted from pure cultu res, leaf lesions, whole thalli and dissected "only-fungal" sections of lic henized fungi. In addition, the method has proved suitable for use with her barium specimens of both lichenized and non-lichenized fungi, stored as dri ed pure cultures or dried infected plant material.