Leaf surface, pollen morphology, fungal biodiversity and leaf spots of some wild plants in Sinai, Egypt

Abstract Leaf surface, pollen morphology and fungal biodiversity as well as leaf spots have been investigated in four native species ( Cleome amblyocarpa , Cleomaceae; Haplophyllum tuberculatum , Rutaceae; Pluchea dioscoridis , Asteraceae; and Solanum elaeagnifolium , Solanaceae) of the flora of Egypt. The mycological analysis of 40 samples of each leaves and anthers/pollen grains of the above four wild plants revealed the isolation of 61 fungal species and one variety belonging to 28 genera on plates of 2 % cellulose‐Czapek‐Dox agar at 25 °C. The most common fungi were Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Cladosporium herbarum and Fusarium oxysporum or F. solani . Also, some fungi were prevalent only on a specific taxon such as Cochliobolus spicifer and Macrophoma phaseolina on leaves of Solanum elaeagnifolium , Aspergillus tamarii and A. terreus on the leaves and anthers/pollen of Pluchea dioscoridis and Chaetomium globosum, Ch. jodhurense and Humicola grisea on the anthers/pollen of Solanum elaeagnifolium . The present results revealed that the size, density of hairs and sculptures of the leaf surface almost seem to be the most reliable factors of the fungal biodiversity on the studied plant species. On the other hand, scabrate pollen surface of Solanum elaeagnifolium had a wider spectrum of fungal biodiversity and higher density of spores compared with other pollen surfaces in the examined taxa. Direct examination of leaves of the four plant species showed various degrees of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Cochliobolus, Drechslera, Pleospora and Ulocladium , leaf spots.