Variant Forms of Saprophytic Mycelium Grown from Uredospores of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici

SUMMARY: Saprophytic cultures obtained from uredospores of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici race 126-anz-6,7 varied. Cultures were placed in two general categories: those which formed macroscopic colonies within 2 weeks of inoculation, and those which formed colonies 4 or more weeks after inoculation. The fast-appearing colonies contained binucleate cells and were the more common; growth ceased by staling or formation of spore-bearing stromata. Slow-appearing colonies were formed at an erratic and low incidence; they were uninucleate, showed much less tendency to stale or form stromata than did fast-appearing colonies, and could be propagated by serial subcultures. Variation of uninucleate colonies during maintenance in axenic culture is described.