Abstract

Utilisation of orthophosphate, inositol hexaphosphate and DNA by isolates of Amanita alboverrucosa, A. conicoverrucosa, A. fuscosquamosa, A. muscaria, A. nauseosa, A. ochrophylla, A. pyramidifera, A. roseolamellata, A. xanthocephala and six unidentified Amanita species from eastern Australian temperate sclerophyll forests was examined during growth in axenic liquid cultures. With the exception of A. nauseosa and A. xanthocephala on DNA, isolates of all taxa were shown to utilise orthophosphate and both organic substrates as sole phosphorus sources. Considerable intraspecific variation in utilisation of the organic phosphorus sources relative to orthophosphate was observed for A. muscaria and the native Australian taxa. Overall the data suggest that Amanita spp. may contribute significantly to organic phosphorus mobilisation in Australian forest soils.