Preliminary Checklist of Endomycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (Arecaceae, Calamoideae) in Trinidad, W.I.

Abstract

Endomycorrhizal fungi associated with the palm Mauritia flexuosa L. f. (Arecaceae-Calamoideae) were observed in situ and ex situ on the island of Trinidad, West Indies. Root endophytes varied between stage classes (seedling–adult) and amongst palms from different locations and individual species of endophyte were associated with more than one palm species. This suggests that palms with associated endophyte communities may have a greater chance of survival in stressful environments. Further studies on the relative abundance of endophytes and host specificity are warranted as different levels of endomycorrhizal associations and adaptations are expected.