Rhizosphere and phyllosphere fungi of four fern plants growing in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Seventy-eight species in addition to 1 variety of A. flavus belonging to 31 genera were collected from the rhizosphere (55 species + 1 variety and 24 genera) and phyllosphere (59 species and 22 genera) of Adiantum capillus-veneris, Ceterach officinarum, Asplenium filare and Cheilanthes catanensis. In the rhizosphere, the most common genera were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Mucor and yeasts. In the phyllosphere, the most prevalent fungi were Cladosporium herbarum, C. sphaerospermum, Alternaria alternata, Drechslera spicifera, Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Cephalosporium roseo-griseum, Myrothecium verrucaria, Mucor racemosus and yeasts.