ASSEMBLAGE AND DIVERSITY OF FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH MANGROVE WILD LEGUME Canavalia cathartica

Abstract

Assemblage and diversity of fungi in five tissues (root, stem, leaf, pod and seed) of mangrove wild legume Canavalia cathartica on surface sterilization and without surface sterilization has been studied. The surface sterilized tissues yielded 36 endophytic fungi with a highest 15 species in stem followed by 14 species in root and pod tissues. Aspergillus niger was the most dominant core-group endophytic fungus (29.3%). The diversity and evenness were highest in roots. The highest similarity of fungi was seen between pods and seeds (41%) followed by roots vs. pods and stem vs. pods (40%), while it was least between roots and leaves (22%).  Tissues without surface sterilization yielded a total of 40 fungi with a highest of 25 species in leaf followed by 23 species in pod tissue. Aspergillus niger was the most dominant fungus in all tissues (48.5%). Diversity was highest in leaf, while the similarity  ranged between 16% (stem vs. seed) and 50% (stem vs. leaf). Sixteen fungi were common to sterilized and unsterilized tissues. Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium chrysogenum were the top ranked core-group fungi common to sterilized and unsterilized tissues. The percent frequency of occurrence of fungi did not differ significantly between surface sterilized and unsterilized tissues.