New Host and Geographic Records of Epifoliar Fungi on Cinnamomum loureiroi from Thailand

Information from the abstract

Epifoliar fungi represent a notable group of fungi that commonly inhabit the surfaces of leaves. They are typically recorded as saprobes, obligate parasites, or commensals, and although globally distributed, they are especially prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, fresh leaves of Cinnamomum loureiroi exhibiting black surface spots were collected from the Mae Fah Luang Botanical Garden at the end of the dry season. Fungal isolates were identified through a combination of morphological characterization and multigene phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) methods based on combined ITS and LSU sequence data. We identified two epifoliar fungal species, Phaeosaccardinula multiseptata and Scolecopeltidium menglaense, on the surface of C. loureiroi. This study reports C. loureiroi as a new host for both species and provides the first geographical record of P. multiseptata in Thailand. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrative figures, and molecular data based on ITS and LSU sequences are presented for both taxa. In this study, we provide updated ITS and LSU sequence data for these two known epiphyllous species, which are currently underrepresented in GenBank. This work supports efforts in biodiversity conservation and fungal documentation, contributing to the exploration of microfungal diversity and promoting the preservation and responsible use of biological resources.

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Related topics: Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases · Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions · Fungal Plant Pathogen Control