Occurrence and genetic structure of the systemic grass endophyte Epichloë festucae in fine fescue populations.

Epichloë species are systemic fungal endophytes that usually specialize in a certain group of related grass species. We examined the infection frequency of Epichloë festucae in populations of two fine fescue species (Festuca rubra and F. ovina) in natural and seminatural habitats at 86 study sites (total=2514 plants) across Finland and northern Norway.

Environmental conditions and host genotype direct genetic diversity of Venturia ditricha, a fungal endophyte of birch trees.

We investigated whether genetic variation of a common foliar endophyte of birch trees, Venturia ditricha, is affected by environmental conditions or host genotype. Fungal samples were collected from 10 half-sibling families of mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) grown in two environmental conditions with different daily average temperatures: a forested river valley and an adjacent open tundra (altitudinal difference 180 m).