doi: 10.4489/KJM.2026.54.1.6 Citation BibTeX RIS Mendeley

Unrecorded Endophytic Fungal Species in Korea: Microascus brunneosporus and Colletotrichum camelliae-japonicae

Unrecorded Endophytic Fungal Species in Korea: Microascus brunneosporus and Colletotrichum camelliae-japonicae

• Seong-Eun Kim (Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju, 28173, Korea)
• Jae-Eui Cha (Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju, 28173, Korea)
• Ahn-Heum Eom (Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju, 28173, Korea)

Endophytic fungi inhabit healthy plant tissues without causing apparent disease symptoms and contribute to host fitness through diverse ecological functions. In this study, two endophytic fungal isolates obtained from asymptomatic leaves of Stephanandra incisa and Celtis sinensis in Korea were identified based on their morphological characteristics and multilocus phylogenetic analyses. The isolates were confirmed to be Microascus brunneosporus and Colletotrichum camelliae-japonicae, which are unrecorded fungal species in Korea. Their cultural, morphological, and phylogenetic characteristics are described. These findings expand our understanding of the endophytic fungal diversity in Korea.