Fungal Diversity The endophytic mycobiota of the grass Dactylis glomerata

Fungal endophytes were isolated from asymptomatic and symptomatic plants of Dactylis glomerata sampled in different ecosystems in Spain. Fungi were identified using morphological, as well as molecular methods based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and ribosomal DNA sequencing. Molecular data provided a framework for identification and assessing the phylogenetic position of isolates. One hundred and nine different fungal species were identified. Eighteen of these species were potentially unknown. The endophytic assemblage consists of grass-specific, as well as generalist species, and is quite different from those described for perennial woody species. Species richness curves showed that the survey discovered most species commonly infecting this grass, but the number of sporadic infections of singleton species continued to increase with more sampling effort. A large endophytic assemblage consisting of fungi with diverse ecological roles, and potentially unknown species, was found in a small herbaceous plant.