Species richness analysis and ITS rDNA phylogeny revealed the majority of cultivable foliar endophytes from beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Endophytic fungi are hard to detect due to their non-pathogenic nature. We combined species and abundance data with that obtained in an earlier study to re-evaluate current knowledge about diversity of cultivable endophytes in Fagus sylvatica foliage. Fungal ITS sequences were used for identification and phylogenetic analysis, for the evaluation of morphotype concepts, and for validation of morphological identification. Morphological and molecular delimitation of isolates corresponded well and did not significantly change values for species richness estimators. The present analyses largely increased the known species richness of beech endophytes from 64 to 83 observed and about 100 estimated taxa. According to the ITS phylogeny, beech leaf endophytes belong to the main non-parasitic and non-lichenised orders of Pezizomycotina and have close affinities to plant and insect pathogens.