• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.27 no.4 s.91
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• pp.256-273
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• 1999

Seventy two isolates of Cordyceps militaris collected from 11 sites in Korea, including two isolates from ATCC, were used to assess genetic variation within Cordyceps militaris. The anamorph stage and cultural characteristics of C. militaris were observed through microscope and investigated on PDA respectively. The anamorphs of C. militaris were identified to be Verticillium. Isolates of C. militaris showed different growth rates, morphology and color. Fifty six isolates of single ascospore and seventy two isolates of mass ascospore from C. militaris were analysed using by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) for genetic relationship analysis. Fifty six single ascospore isolates fell into two groups by phenogram constructed from distance values using the UPGMA method in NTSYS-pc software: group A from artificial fruit body of C18 except for isolate 51; group B from artificial fruit body of C738. The average genetic distance value within group A is 0.150 and group B is 0.163. The average genetic distance value between the two groups is 0.221. The average genetic distance value within 56 single ascospores is 0.207 and 72 mass ascospores is 0.330. Genetic relationships were not found among 72 mass ascospore isolates obtained from eleven geographically distant populations.