MOLECULAR AND MICROGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION OF CHLOROPHYLLUM HORTENSE, A NEW RECORD FROM PAKISTAN USING ITS-RDNA MARKER AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (SEM)TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Chlorophyllum hortense (Agaricales, Agaricaceae) has been collected during a survey of macrofungi
from Rana resort, a Safari park, Kasur district, Punjab, Pakistan. The fruiting bodies were characterized
morphoanatomically as well as by molecular analysis. The shape, size and colour of pileus, gills and stipe were noted and compared with the available data in literature. Further, the fine shape and size of basidiospores were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. Molecularly, the identification of macrofungus
was confirmed by Internal Transcribed Spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) sequence using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing techniques.  Sequence BLAST analysis and phylogenetic description showed that Pakistani species is an isotype of European and North American collections and Chlorophyllum hortense has not been reported previously from Pakistan.