Anatomical and morphological characterization of mycorrhizas of five strains of Tuber borchii Vittad

Tilia platyphyllos Scop. plantlets were inoculated in vitro with five Tuber borchii Vittad. strains (1BO, 17BO, 43BO, 71BO and 10RA) to test their int raspecific variability. The ability of the strains to form mycorrhizas vari ed, with the mean degree of ectomycorrhizal infection ranging from 50.6% (f or 1BO) to 82.1% (for 10RA). The anatomical/morphological characteristics o f the resulting mycorrhizas were determined. Although the morphological fea tures of the mycorrhizas and the characteristics of the cystidia were simil ar for all strains tested, differences were found in the anatomical feature s of the mantle. The form of the mantle cells was examined in the surface a nd inner layers (6 and 12 mum deep, respectively) by both conventional and confocal microscopy. These cells were polygonal in 1BO, and 71BO, epidermoi d in 43BO and intermediate in 17BO and 10RA. The structure of the mantle al so varied and thus provided little information with which to identify T. bo rchii mycorrhizas.