LOPHODERMIUM-PICEAE AND RHIZOSPHAERA-KALKHOFFII IN FALLEN NEEDLES OF NORWAY SPRUCE (PICEA-ABIES)

Falling needles collected from under individual 70-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies) trees for about four years were checked for fungal fruitbodies. The most common fungi were Lophodermium piceae and Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii. Maximum frequencies of fruitbodies occurred in late autumn for L. piceae (ca. 80 % of the needles), in summer for R. kalkhoffii (ca. 60 %) and in winter for the third most common fungus, Tiarosporella parca (ca. 10 %). The frequencies of needles with fruiting fungi varied greatly within and between years. This is the first report of T. parca from Sweden.