Yellow band on grass

[flaxton]

I spotted this yellow band on some grass in our garden. Not sure at first whether it was fungal or eggs of some kind.



It turned out to be Epichloë typhina and the last person to find that in N Yorks was a certain C.S.V. Yeates.

Mal

[Stip]

Hi Mal,
it has not necessarily to be typhina, there are 2 more macroscopically indistinguishable species.
key from J.F. White 1993 Mycologia 85(3)
spores not disarculating - E. typhina
spores disarculating to form part-spores
part spores cylindrical 1 septate- E. baconii
part spores pear-shaped multiseptate- E. clarkii
so you might be lucky and find a new specfor your aerea.

cheers Stip

[flaxton]

Thanks for that Stip I will collect another sample and get the microscope warmed up.

Mal

[Stip]

good luck with it!
you can find the article in the internet through cyberliber the library for mycolygy online.

cheers Stip

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by flaxton

I spotted this yellow band on some grass in our garden. Not sure at first whether it was fungal or eggs of some kind.



It turned out to be Epichloë typhina and the last person to find that in N Yorks was a certain C.S.V. Yeates.

Mal

hi Mal

as Stip has indicated Epichloë has been split relatively recently - I'll PM you the details (there's a 2005 article in the Mycologist by Spooner and Kemp) - the following are currently on the Yorkshire list:

Epichloë baconii J.F. White
Epichloë clarkii J.F. White
Epichloë sylvatica Leuchtm. & Schardl
and Epichloë typhina (Pers.) Tul. & C.Tul. (sensu stricto)

so of the six species so far known in GB & Ireland
Epichloë bromicola Leuchtm. & Schardl
and Epichloë festucae Leuchtm., Schardl & M.R. Siegel remain to be found in Yorkshire

knowing the host is important (and has been one way in which I have been able to redispose previous E. typhina records; if it's in your garden then the hope might be that it's on Festuca rubra, which would strongly suggest E. festucae (currently E. bromicola is only known from Bromus erectus in GB & I, which I suspect isn't in your garden; if it's on a Poa or Phleum then it will just be good old E. typhina)

cheers

Chris

PS my first thought was this really belongs on the Fungal Plant Parasites thread, but NO! - this is not a host / parasite relationship: to quote from the Mycologist article:

They represent a highly developed, co-
evolved mutualism, occurring systemically as
endophytes within their hosts and imparting a range of
significant and mostly beneficial effects (Bacon & Hill,
1996) . Infected grasses are usually larger and more
robust and vigorous (Clay, 1988) and exhibit increased
resistance to adverse environmental factors such as
drought stress (e.g. Bacon & Hill, 1996; White et al,
1993) . They also show increased resistance to
herbivory and are toxic to livestock and resistant to
invertebrate feeders due to the production of alkaloid
compounds by the endophyte (Moon et al, 2000; Lane
et al., 2000) which has led to their study as potential
biocontrol agents against insect pests

interesting huh?

[flaxton]

Thanks Chris I think. I was just comming to terms with the fact that there were three species it could be and not one and you now tell me there are six. I have enough trouble identifying fungi without starting on grasses but I will try.

Mal

[SheffieldLass]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

PS my first thought was this really belongs on the Fungal Plant Parasites thread, but NO! - this is not a host / parasite relationship: to quote from the Mycologist article:

They represent a highly developed, co-
evolved mutualism, occurring systemically as
endophytes within their hosts and imparting a range of
significant and mostly beneficial effects (Bacon & Hill,
1996) . Infected grasses are usually larger and more
robust and vigorous (Clay, 1988) and exhibit increased
resistance to adverse environmental factors such as
drought stress (e.g. Bacon & Hill, 1996; White et al,
1993) . They also show increased resistance to
herbivory and are toxic to livestock and resistant to
invertebrate feeders due to the production of alkaloid
compounds by the endophyte (Moon et al, 2000; Lane
et al., 2000) which has led to their study as potential
biocontrol agents against insect pests

interesting huh?

I'm not sure what use they'd be as biocontrol agents if they are toxic to livestock, so making the crop useless as fodder, and are humans likely to be any different? ... if not then useless as crops (wheat etc) for us. Might keep the rabbits off the grass, though only pushing them onto the veg plot even more. Unless they decide to grow grass specially for locusts .... Or is about having nice green lawns (with a hint of yellow) or lush football pitches.

But interesting anyway.

Melanie

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by flaxton

Thanks Chris I think. I was just coming to terms with the fact that there were three species it could be and not one and you now tell me there are six. I have enough trouble identifying fungi without starting on grasses but I will try.

Mal

hi Mal

if the grass has a flowering bit at the top, then you could send me it (with at least one attached leaf and I'll have a look for you - I'm not too bad on grasses

PM me if that is the case

Chris

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

I'm not sure what use they'd be as biocontrol agents if they are toxic to livestock, so making the crop useless as fodder, and are humans likely to be any different? ... if not then useless as crops (wheat etc) for us. Might keep the rabbits off the grass, though only pushing them onto the veg plot even more. Unless they decide to grow grass specially for locusts .... Or is about having nice green lawns (with a hint of yellow) or lush football pitches.

But interesting anyway.

Melanie

hi Melanie

don't forget that the scientists will be thinking ahead and looking to extract secondary metabolites etc out of infected plants for use in highly specific potential controls, not the plants themselves

it's a bit like the effect that foxglove has on the heart - no way would you want the raw Digitalis leaves fed to you (the dose could vary from plant to plant for a start); but pharmacological extracts such as 'digitoxin' or 'digoxin', while still sounding very dodgy () are then produced in highly controlled circumstances and marketed under various trade names for medical use

the potential for uses of the vast array of chemicals which move through even the humblest of fungal hyphae is one of the reasons why professional mycologists can justify their positions (thank heavens)

as a humorous example let's never forget the real truth behind the stone-washed jeans myth - see: http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/nov2004.html

C

[Stip]

Thanks Chris,
for updating me too, i should get my hands on this Mycologist article too.
cheers Stip