Mycoflora associated with some freshwater plants collected from Delta region (Egypt)

Abstract

Abstract 77 species and 3 species varieties belonging to 35 genera were isolated during this investigation. Five species namely: Chytriomyces annulus, Rhinocladiella schulzeri, Dactylella bemicodes, D. alaskana and D. rhompospora are new records to Egypt. The composition of water‐borne fungi was basically similar to those of the washwater of collected plants (phyllosphere) and plant part samples (phylloplane). Of the 20 zoosporic fungal species, Saprolegnia ferax and Dictyuchus sterilis were common in water samples; and Achlya oligacantha and S. ferax in washwater (phyllosphere). On glucose and cellulose‐CZAPEK's agar the most frequent of the three substrates were the members of Fusarium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Penicillium. Also many more species such as Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Fusarium moniliforme and Stachybotrys atra increased their frequency of occurrence and total counts on cellulose agar than was the case on glucose. Some fungal species were isolated only from water samples and not from phyllosphere or phylloplane and vice versa. Also, some fungal species were isolated on glucose and not on cellulose CZAPEK's agar medium and vice versa. The plant Ceratophyllum demersum exhibited the highest fungal counts while Phragmites communis exhibited the lowest counts. The water samples richer in fungal genera and species were those which were characterized by relatively high content of dissolved oxygen. pH, temperature and conductivity of collected water samples did not show any regular pattern and did not exhibit any considerable influence on fungal population.