Morphology Morphology of rhizomorphs
Sometimes it can be difficult to decide whether a sclerotium laying on the mantle or on the rhizomorphs is definitely a sclerotium of the ectomycorrhiza in question. It has carefully be looked for unequivocal connections between the sclerotium and those hyphae that belong to the ectomycorrhiza forming fungus without any doubt. The question is particularly difficult to handle if sclerotia are exclusively formed by emanating hyphae and lay incidentally either rather close or remote from the ectomycorrhizae without any obvious connections. Then it can be helpful to make a plan view comparison of the mantle as well as of the sclerotium's outer portion, to search for identical structures.
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