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Orchidaceous plants have symbiotic relationships with endophytic fungi, including mycorrhizal fungi, which play important roles in the seed germination and growth of the host plants. In this study, endophytic fungal communities isolated from the roots of Cephalanthera longibracteata collected from three different sites in Korea were analyzed, and it was determined whether fungal communities were preferentially correlated with the sites. The fungal isolates were identified by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA. In total, 30 species of endophytic fungi, including two species of mycorrhizal fungi belonging to the genus Tulasnella, were identified. Leptodontidium orchidicola showed the highest frequency and was isolated from all root samples. Species diversity and richness were not significantly different among sites. However, the community structure of the endophytic fungi significantly differed among sites, suggesting that the site characteristics affected the community composition of the endophytic fungi colonizing the roots of C. longibracteata. Our findings will aid in developing methods involving the use of symbiotic fungi for orchid conservation and restoration in native habitats.

Plant Conservation Division, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon 487-821, KoreaABSTRACT: This study was conducted to investigate diversity of orchid endophytic fungi from roots of two terrestrial orchids,Cypripedium japonicum and Cypripedium macranthum in Korea. The endophytic fungi were identified using morphological andDNA sequences isolated from the roots. Totally, 11 taxa of the endophytic fungi were identified from the roots of C. japonicumand 15 taxa from C. macranthum. Three species of the fungi were common in both host species; Leptodontidium orchidicola,Humicola fuscoatra var. fuscoatra, Umbelopsis dimorpha. Six species of the fungal isolates were the first report in Korea;Oidiodendron echinulatum, Pseudogymnoascus roseus, Geomyces vinaceus, Cryptosporiopsis ericae, U. dimorpha, Chaetomiumcupreum.KEYWORDS

Orchidaceous plants have symbiotic relationships with endophytic fungi, including mycorrhizal fungi, which play important roles in the seed germination and growth of the host plants. In this study, endophytic fungal communities isolated from the roots of Cephalanthera longibracteata collected from three different sites in Korea were analyzed, and it was determined whether fungal communities were preferentially correlated with the sites. The fungal isolates were identified by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA. In total, 30 species of endophytic fungi, including two species of mycorrhizal fungi belonging to the genus Tulasnella, were identified. Leptodontidium orchidicola showed the highest frequency and was isolated from all root samples. Species diversity and richness were not significantly different among sites. However, the community structure of the endophytic fungi significantly differed among sites, suggesting that the site characteristics affected the community composition of the endophytic fungi colonizing the roots of C. longibracteata. Our findings will aid in developing methods involving the use of symbiotic fungi for orchid conservation and restoration in native habitats.

Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education, Chungbuk, 363-791, KoreaABSTRACT: In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from leaves of four species of woody plants, Acer tagmentosum, Larixkaempferi, Abies holophylla, and Pinus koraiensis, on Mt. Hambaek, Gangwondo, Korea. The endophytic fungi were identifiedusing morphological and sequences analysis of ITS regions. The fungal endophytes were identified as Talaromyces radicus,Myceliophthora verrucosa, Cryptosporiopsis diversispora, and Sphaerulina berberidis, which are the first record in Korea. Themorphological and molecular phylogenetic characteristics of each strain were described.KEYWORDS

In this study, orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) were isolated from four terrestrial orchids on Mt. Hambeak, Platnathera chlorantha, Platnathera mandarinorum, Cephalanthera falcate, and Cephalanthera longibracteata. OMF were identified using morphological and sequences analysis of fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions by specific primer of basidiomycetous orchid mycorrhizas; ITS1-OF and ITS4-OF. Four species of orchid mycorrhizal fungi were identified as Ceratobasidium sp, Epulorhiza anaticula, Tulasnella calospora and Tulasnella sp.