Dept. Botany & Plant Pathology
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331

Thesis project:

Rhizopogon is a hypogeous fungal genus that is ectomycorrhizal with members of the Pinaceae. Currently the systematics of this very large genus is not well understood. We are re-examining sectional relationships and species concepts in this genus using phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and large subunit sequence data. Alexander Smith and Sanford Zeller's 1966 publication , Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden: A Preliminary Account of the North American Species of Rhizopogon, is serving as our working hypothesis for testing sectional relationships and species concepts.