Espola-Sepúlveda, Marian

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    Catastro de hongos endófitos miceliales en Thrinax morrisii H. Wendl. en el Bosque Estatal de Susúa, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
    (2005) Espola-Sepúlveda, Marian; Maldonado-Ramírez, Sandra L.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Muñoz, Carlos A.; Santos, Carlos; Department of Biology; Zapata, Mildred
    Endophytic fungi are organisms that, during all or part of their life cycle, invade the internal tissues of plants without causing symptoms of disease. A survey of endophytic micelial fungi in leaves of Thrinax morrisii H. Wendl. in Susúa Forest, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, during the wet and dry seasons was performed. Two areas within the forest, with differences in elevation were identified and healthy leaves from palms were collected. Leaves fragments were surface sterilized with ethanol and sodium hipochlorite solutions and incubated in Malt Extract Agar (MEA) with chloramphenicol. Endophytic fungi were recovered with an infection rate between 48.5 – 76.5 %. The highest infection rate was observed during the wet season; there were also differences between infection rates among different study areas. No differences in endophytic colonization were observed when different regions of the leaves were examined. A total of six genera and six morphotypes were identified with the highest frequencies for two of these morphotypes and Annellolacinia sp. Also, Colletotrichum sp., Pestalotiopsis sp. and Phomopsis sp. were isolated in low frequencies, these fungi have been identified as pathogens in other plant species. This study represents the first reported evidence of the presence of endophytic fungi in T. morrisii leaves and it suggests a relationship between fungal colonization, season and localization of the palm populations within the forest.