Endophytic fungi associated with Coriaria nepalensis in an abandoned open-pit phosphate mine in Yunnan, P. R. China

The phosphate mining industry is prosperous in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Among them, the Kunyang phosphate mine, situated on the southern shore of Dianchi Lake, stands as one of Asia’s largest and most ancient open-pit phosphate mines. However, mining activities and abandoned phosphate mines have resulted in significant soil erosion and water degradation, necessitating immediate ecological restoration efforts.

During surveys of endophytic fungi associated with the pioneer plant Masuri berry (Coriaria nepalensis) in mining sites, Kunming, Yunnan, we report a new species, Chrysofolia kunmingensis, and three new host records of Chaetomium cochliodes, Coniella quercicola, and Epicoccum nigrum. All taxa were identified based on morphological examinations and multigene phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS), and large subunit (nrLSU) of ribosomal DNA, beta-tubulin 2 (tub), DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II largest subunit (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1-α) sequences.

This study will contribute to the isolation of indigenous beneficial fungi and the promotion of “plant-microbe” combined remediation.