Endophytic fungi of twigs and leaves of three native species of Myrtaceae in Uruguay

摘要

The main purpose of this research was to examine the endophytic fungal composition of leaves and twigs of Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Myrceugenia glaucescens and Acca sellowiana (Myrtaceae-Myrtoideae) growing within their natural distribution area in southern central Uruguay. Twig and leaf segments were plated on 2% MEA. The percent of colonization ranged from 27% (M. glaucescens xylem) to 78% (Blepharocalyx bark). Xylaria enteroleuca, Pestalotiopsis guepinii, and sterile mycelia colonized several tissues of all host species. Simple correspondence analysis showed differences in endophyte composition between M. glaucescens and the other two hosts, suggesting host preferences. Conversely, A. sellowiana and B. salicifolius were characterized by similar species composition and the slight difference observed was due to some species isolated in only one of them or in both but with different relative frequency of isolation. Ordination resulting from cluster analysis showed that the endophytic composition of twig xylem and bark was similar in B. salicifolius and A. sellowiana. In M. glaucescens tissue preference was not evident. The endophytes Sphaeropsis sapinea, Botryosphaeria dothidea and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides found here were also present in Eucalyptus spp. cultivated as non-native in Uruguay but the endophytic diversity of the three hosts was nearly similar to that of Eucalyptus spp.