• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.23 no.1 s.72
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• pp.61-70
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• 1995

The genus Armillaria is important because they produce Gastrodia tubers. Seventy two isolates of Armillaria were obtained from fruit bodies grown on decayed wood in Korea. Twenty four isolates from Pinus koraiensis were identified as A. ostoyae. Two isolates from G. elata growing in the field were identified as A. mellea. Seven isolates from Acer ginnala and Quercus spp. were identified as A. tabescens. Thirty nine isolates were identified as A. gallica. Armillaria gallica was isolated from Quercus spp., Ainus japonica, Vitis amurensis and Prunus sargentii. Armillaria spp. isolates were divided into four groups based on the cultural characteristics. Group II (A. gallica KNU-A110) was better than the other groups for mycelial growth and rhizomorph formation. Isolate KNU-A110 proved to be good for production of G. elata tubers. This fungus forms mycelial fan in the plant tissue and rhizomorphs in contact with G. elata tubers. Gastrodia spp. was found in thirteen sites in Kangweon province in Korea. The plants were divided into three different kinds based on stem color. Plants with stems of brownish orange and greyish yellow were identified as G. elata, and those with greyish green colored stems were identified as G. gracilis. Gastrodia was collected mainly from humus soils rich in leaf debris, and slopes facing south from mid-May to mid-July. Once the new tubers are formed from the ancestry tuber, the ancestry tuber begins to decay. The offspring tuber, apparently gaining nutrients through rhizomorphs, begins to grow in length and slowly to enlarge. It takes three years for the offspring tuber to become ancestry tuber.