Distribution and diversity of endophytes in seagrasses

The rhizome and leaf tissues of 10 seagrass species (seven of the family Cymodoceaceae and three of the family Hydrocharitaceae) collected along the coast of Tamilnadu state, southern India were sampled for the presence of fungal endophytes. A culture-based study revealed that the colonization frequency (CF%) of the endophytes was generally lower than that reported for terrestrial plants and that members of Eurotiomycetes dominate the endophyte assemblage in these marine angiosperms. The CF% of the endophytes was more for the rhizome than for the leaves. Species of Aspergillus, Paecilomyces and Penicillium occurred in high CF% and could be isolated from both the tissue types of seagrasses belonging to both the families.