Fungal endophytes of Dryas octopetala from a high arctic polar semidesert and from the Swiss Alps

Abstract

Endophytes were isolated from leaves, stems and roots of Dryas octopetala sampled in Switzerland and Spitsbergen. Endophyte assemblages from different sites and at different sampling times were diverse. Seventy-three species were isolated in the four sites examined and 38 had frequencies of more than 10% in at least one sample. Samples from the subalpine region were generally richer in species than those collected in the alpine or Arctic regions. Leaves tended to host more endophyte taxa than twigs or roots.

Key Words:

• endophytes
• taxonomy