Endophytic Mycodiversity of Sacred Tree – Anthocephalus cadamba in semi-arid region

Velmurugan et al.,

Anthocephalus cadamba | endophytic fungi

Vol: 2; Iss: 9; Sep 16 | ISSN: 2454-5422

A total of 112 fungal isolates were obtained from 180 samples of the leaf, stem and bark tissues of sacred tree Anthocephalus cadamba that grown in unusual semi-arid tropical region. The endophytic mycoflora were identified based on the colony morphology and sporulating structure in which 108 fertile fungal isolates belonging to 10 species and 4 sterile morphospecies. Most of the fertile fungi belonged to mitosporic and the isolates composition included hyphomycetes (33%), Coelomycetes (49%), ascomycetes (8%), zygomycetes (6%) and sterile fungi (4%). Species of Phyllosticta were recorded as most dominant fungal isolates in which Phyllosticta hymanaeae was dominant in the leaf and predominant in bark tissues, Phyllosticta sp. was recorded as prevalent fungal isolate in the stem tissues of A. cadamba during the study period. The endophytic mycodiversity in the study area was high in diversity and abundance. They were distinctly associated with host plant parts in which the tissues of leaf were harboured more endophytes than the stem and bark in colonization frequency, colonization rate, isolation rate and diversity indices. The present study revealed that the sacred tree A. cadamba is one of the ecological niche for sheltering endophytic mycoflora even grown in unusual semi-arid tropical region.