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STUDIES ON THE ASSEMBLAGE OF FUNGAL ENDOPHYTES IN LEMON GRASS
(CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS (DC.) STAPF.) FROM THANE, INDIA.
Moses Kolet
Department of Botany, B.N.Bandodkar College of Science, Chendani, Thane 400601, India
ABSTRACT
Email id: mjkolet@vpmthane.org
Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.), found all over India, is valued for its culinary and
therapeutic properties. Endophytes, residing inside tissues of plants without causing overt symptoms, are
known for their immense and diversified research potential. In the current investigation, fresh leaves and
rhizomes of lemon grass were utilized for isolation of endophytic fungi. One hundred and twenty eight
fungal endophytes were recovered from 300 segments of lemon grass collected from ‗Jnanadweepa‘, Vidya
Prasarak Mandal‘s Thane College Campus in Thane city; belonging to ascomycetes (13.5%), coelomycetes
(22.7%), hyphomycetes (36.3%) and mycelia sterilia (27.2%). Twenty two different fungal species
belonging to 18 genera viz. Alternaria alternata, Alternaria sp., Arthrinium phaeospermum, Chaetomium
bostrychodes, C. globosum, Colletotrichum dematium, C. gloeosporioides, Cladosporium cladosporioides,
Drechslera sp., Emericella nidulans, Fusarium sp., Nigrospora oryzae, N. sphaerica, Pestalotiopsis sp.,
Phomopsis sp., Phyllosticta sp.and six different sterile forms were isolated. The most frequently
encountered fungal endophytes were Cladosporium cladosporioides, Drechslera sp. and Colletotrichum
gloeosporioides. The colonization frequency was higher in leaf samples than rhizome samples. Of the three
culture media employed, Malt Extract Agar and Potato Dextrose Agar revealed a slightly wider spectrum of
endophytic fungi in contrast with Plant Extract Agar, prepared with extract of the host grass supplemented
with dextrose.
Key Words: Endophytes, Endophytic fungi, Lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus
INTRODUCTION
The tropical plant genus Cymbopogon is represented by about 12 species in India; most of them aromatic
and yielding essential oils of commercial value (CSIR, 1950; Sharma and Sharma, 1988). Cymbopogon
citratus (DC.) Stapf. (Syn. Andropogon citratus DC.) (family Poaceae), commonly known as West Indian
lemon grass (Hindi: Gandhatrina; Marathi: Gavati chaha, Hirva cha, ole cha; Sanskrit: Bhustrina, English:
Lemon grass, melissa grass) is a tall tufted perennial grass with a short rhizome, producing dense fascicles
of leaves, with glaucous green linear leaf blades, long- attenuated at the base and tapering upwards to a long
setaceous point, up to 90 cm long and 1.6-1.8 cm wide, the margins being rough and midrib whitish on the
upper side and stout below; found all over the tropics of both hemispheres. The leaves give an aromatic and
pleasant, distinctly lemony aroma on crushing which reflects the english and hindi spoken names, lemon
grass and gandhatrina respectively. An infusion of its leaves is taken as a refreshing beverage, as a
substitute for tea (Jain, 2006) that has given it the Marathi colloquial name. The grass is today cultivated in
many tropical countries inclusive of India for the aromatic oil obtained from its leaves (Munde, 2012). In
addition to its commercial importance, the grass is attributed with several medicinal properties viz. it is
1 JBNB (Vol. I ) Issue I January’2013