Microfungi occurring of Proteaceae in the fynbosNEW & Recommended by APS PRESS!
By Seonju Marincowitz, Pedro W. Crous, Johannes Z. Groenewald,
and Michael J. Wingfield
The fynbos is a shrubland characterized by a fire-prone ecosystem
and Mediterranean climate. Although it is extremely rich in plant species, and
has a high degree of floral endemism, very little is known regarding the fungi
in this unique and fascinating environment.
The present study investigated the saprobic microfungi that colonise and utilize
leaf and twig litter and senescent flowerheads of Proteaceae. A total of
29 species and sub-species belonging to four genera of Proteaceae were
sampled from 12 sites in the Western Cape Province of South Africa spanning a
period of two years (2000–2001). An attempt was made to culture all fungi
encountered, and where successful, the ITS and partial 28S nrDNA, and in some
cases the translation elongation factor 1-α or the β -tubulin gene regions were
sequenced. A total of 62 bags of litter yielded 316 individuals, consisting of
141 fungal species residing in 103 genera and 43 families. Of these, 59 species,
including eight species that had been previously published, represented novel
taxa. Thirty-eight species reflected new records for South Africa, and 48
species were new reports on Proteaceae. Two new genera and one new
combination were also introduced. Seventy-three species were represented by
teleomorphs and 68 species by anamorphs, which were made up of 30 hyphomycetes
and 38 coelomycetes. Eighty percent of the species occurred on only one type of
substrate.
The fungal community found on twig litter had the highest species richness,
while flowerhead-styles yielded the highest percentage (100%) of unique
species. These results showed that the species richness for the fynbos Mycota
was moderately high with every 2.2 collections representing a different fungal
species. The percentage of new fungal taxa (43% of the total species) was
exceptionally high, and most of these probably host-specific. More than 80% of
the fungi collected in this study had hard and closed fruiting structures,
indicating an adaptation to the constraints of the harsh fynbos environment.
Other than providing a foundation for further studies, this investigation
highlights a disturbing paucity of knowledge regarding the fynbos Mycota in one
of the world’s most threatened and unusual floral Kingdoms.
Contents
Introduction
The Cape Floristic Region
Fynbos
Other Mediterranean-type ecosystems
Fire
Fauna
Proteacceae
Distribution
Flowerheads
Leaves
Roots
Studies on microfungi
Aims
Materials and Methods
Field works
Collection Sites
Collection Protocols
Host Plants
Laboratory procedures
Specimen preparation
Single=spore isolations
Microscopy
Identification
DNA amplification and sequencing
Biodiviersity analyses
Taxonomy of Saprobic Microfungi
Ascomycetes
Anamorphic fungi
Diversity of Microfungi on the Fynbos Proteacea
Results
Saprobic microfungi
All fungal taza
Discussion
Saprobic microfungi
All fungal taxa
References
Index of Plants
Index of Fungi
2008; hardcover; 166 pages, 93 color plates, 6 black & white
plates; (3 pounds); Item No. 51717
