Incidence of endophytes in seeds from collections of Lolium and Festuca species

SUMMARY Seeds from 53 of 64 collections of Lolium perenne from its centre of origin or from old pastures in Europe were found to be infected with endophyte whereas only four of 16 commercial cultivars had infected seed. Almost two thirds of seed samples of L. multiflorum, Festuca arundinacea and F. pratensis collected from plants growing in the wild in Italy contained endophyte but none of the eight commercial cultivars of L. multiflorum and only two of five cultivars of Festuca spp. produced by the Welsh Plant Breeding Station were infected. At least one seed sample from each of six species and varieties of annual ryegrasses contained endophyte mycelium. Endophytes in annual ryegrasses could not be cultured axenically and are probably a different species to the Acremonium lolii present in L. perenne. A correction to the spelling of the specific epithet of A. lolii is explained.