New records of fungi on Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan) from northern Thailand

Abstract

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a seasonal fruit crop in Thailand. Thailand is a major exporter of rambutan, but its yield is compromised by fungal infections. Only a few studies have focused on fungi infecting this host plant in Thailand. Therefore, we investigated fungi from Nephelium lappaceum from northern Thailand and identified three new host records, along with new geographical records. The three fungi are Rhytidhysteron neorufulum, Scolecobasidium spiralihyphum, and Wiesneriomyces laurinus and all are described based on morphology and multigene phylogeny (ITS, LSU, SSU, tef, and β-tub). These findings provide substantial new data about fungal communities associated with the host, their geographic distribution and their effectiveness in ecosystem function. Herbarium specimens and pure cultures were deposited in the Mae Fah Luang University Fungarium and culture collection.