Isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from Urginea indica, a medicinal plant from diverse regions of south India.

Endophytic fungi isolated from four different populations of Urginea indica are reported in the present report,. The plants were collected from 4 dif erent localities which includes Seethampundi (Tamil Nadu), Yediyur (Karnataka), Allepy (Kerala) and Udupi (Karnataka). It is an important medicinal plant found distributed in India, Africa and Mediterrean regions and widely used for the treatment of Edema, Dropsy, Gout, Rheumatic pain, in treating cancer and as cardiac stimulant. Plant portions viz, pseudostem, outer sheat, inner leaf sheath and root parts were inoculated on potato dextrose agar medium amended with chloromphenicol. The presence of 12 endophytic fungi belonging to Hyphomycetes and Coelomycetes were identified from U. indica by means of morphological and cultural features. Sterile forms were common to the host. A total of 6 fungal species viz. Acremonium, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium, Curvularia lunata, C. brachyspora, Penicillium species belonging to the class hypomycetes were identified. Collectotricum fulcatum, C.gleosporioides, Phoma spp, Lasidiploidea theobromae, Physilosticta belonging to the class coelomycetes and some sterile forms were recorded. The present study provided a clue that the existence of endophytic fungi in U. indica and it can be of great importance if further studies conducted on to elucidate their role in the host plant and for bio-prospecting