Molecular identification of co-occurring Cortinarius and Dermocybe speciesfrom southeastern Australian sclerophyll forests

The ability of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region to discriminate 10 cooccu rring Cortinarius and Dermocybe species at a southeastern Australian sclero phyll forest site was assessed. Using the basidiomycete-specific primers IT S1F and ITS4B, some taxa were separated on the basis of individual RFLP pat terns derived using the restriction endonucleases Hae III or Hinf I. Combin ed data from both endonucleases were, however, required to separate all tax a [Dermocybe austro-veneta Clel. (Moser gr Horak), C. rotundisporus Clel. & Cheel, C. archeri Berk., C. sinapicolor Clel., C. violaceus (L.: Fr.) S.F. Gray, C, radicatus Clel, and four morphologically-distinct, but unidentifie d Cortinarius spp.]. ITS sequence comparisons confirmed that D. austro-vene ta belongs in Dermocybe, that C. rotundisporus is correctly placed in subge nus Phlegmacium, and suggest that Australian C. violaceus collections are n ot conspecific with northern hemisphere C, violaceus.