Endophytic fungi of the climber Epipremnum aureum (L) Engl and its symbiotic association with their host tree, Annona squamosa L.

The present investigation was designed to study the endophytic fungi of the climber Epipremnum aureum and its host tree Annona squamosa (custered apple) were isolated on Potato Dextrose Agar and Water agar media. The pure cultures were maintained on PDA media. The colony and mycelial characteristics of endophytic fungi were studied in terms of the radial growth rate, biomass and asexual reproductive structures. The colony interaction between the two endophytic fungi in co-culture plate assays was analyzed. The radial growth rate of the endophytic fungus isolated from the aerial root was found to be 1.2 cm of per day, the biomass was found to be 2.1g/50 ml nutrient broth and asexual reproductive structures of the fungus was found to be globular conidial heads with conidiospores inside. The radial growth rate of the endophytic fungus isolated from the bark was found to be 1 cm of per day, the biomass was found to be 1.8 g/50 ml nutrient broth and asexual reproductive structures of the fungus was found to be no spore formation. The colony interaction between the two endophytic fungi in co-culture plate assays was observed as a barrage formation at the junction between the margins of two colonies. This revealed the compatible, mutualistic interaction between the two endophytic fungal isolates. Mutualistic interactions between the endophytes are viewed as a ubiquitous cooperation conferring benefits to the partners.