Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae and species of the Endogonaceae in an Italian serpentine soil

The VAM mycorrhizal status of five plant species growing in a serpentine soil in which a notable concentration of toxic elements such as nickel, cobalt, and chromium is present was assessed using standard techniques. The root systems of all plant species examined were colonized by VAM fungi, with the exception of the typical serpentinophyte Alyssum bertolonii belonging to the Cruciferae. Using the «inoculated pot cultures» technique, we identified four species of Glomus, described a fifth, and observed two species of Sclerocystis.