Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2000
An isolate of Coniothyrium minitans did not sporulate on media to which 0·05 mM magnesium was added when κ-carrageenan was used to solidify the medium. Normal conidiation was observed when a technical grade agar or agar-agar was used as the gelling agent. The κ-carrageenan and agars used in this study contained significant amounts of Mg. In the agar media all the Mg present was available to the fungus. By contrast, in the κ-carrageenan gel a large portion of the Mg was bound by the gel and not available. Sporulation of C. minitans was only observed on media containing [ges ]0·17 mM of unbound Mg. The possible role of Mg in the initiation of conidium formation by C. minitans is discussed.