The Comparative Wood-destroying Ability and Preservative Tolerance of Monocaryotic and Dicaryotic Mycelia of Lenzites trabea (Pers.) Fr. and Poria vaillantii (DC ex Fr.) Cke.

Abstract

Comparison by soil-block tests on several timbers of the wood-destroying abilities of dicaryotic cultures of both Poria vaillantii and Lenzites trabea with those of monocaryotic cultures either derived from, or contributing to, the formation of the dicaryon, indicated that monocaryotic cultures of P. vaillantii were generally more destructive than related dicaryotic cultures, whereas dicaryons of L. trabea tended to be slightly more destructive than related monocaryons. The tolerance of L. trabea monocaryons to copper sulphate and to sodium arsenate in nutrient agar showed some indication of being higher than that of related dicaryons, whilst the tolerance of P. vaillantii monocaryons to a copperchrome-arsenate preservative in soil-block tests also appeared to be higher than that of related dicaryons. It is concluded that, although neither wood-destroying ability nor preservative tolerance was greatly affected by nuclear condition, the differences shown may be of importance in conjunction with the monocaryotization of dicaryons by toxic agents during laboratory decay tests.