Some filamentous fungi on grassland vegetation from Kenya

Herbaceous plants endemic to native Kenyan grassland on the Marula Estate were assessed for their phylloplane fungal occurrence using leaf cultures on tap water agar. From 26 sampled plants, 261 fungal isolates representative of 58 genera and 92 taxa were identified. The principal filamentous fungi were of the genera: Alternaria, Bipolaris, Curvularia, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Periconia, Phoma and Pithomyces. The fungal species that occurred most frequently were: Alternaria alternata aggreate (73%), Pithomyces chartarum (73%) Nigrospora sphaerica (42%), Torula herbarum (30%) and Microsphaeropsis olivacea (27%). Fungi of limited occurrence were: Didymosphaeria oblitescens, Doliomyces mysoriensis, Endophragmiella dimorphospora, Parapericonia angusii, Podospora minicaudata, Spegazzinia tessarthra, Sporormiella minima, Stagonospora vitensis, Stigmella effigurata and Truncatella conorum-piceae. It is postulated that the phylloplane of these endemic plants provides a niche for endemic fungi.