Diversity of mycorrhizal Tulasnella associated with epiphytic and rupicolous orchids from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, including four new species

The genus Tulasnella often forms mycorrhizas with orchids and has worldwide distribution. Species of this genus are associated with a wide range of orchids, including endangered hosts. Initially, species identification relied mostly on morphological features and few cultures were preserved for later phylogenetic comparisons. In this study, a total of 50 Tulasnella isolates were collected from their natural sites in Minas Gerais, Brazil, cultured, and subjected to a phylogenetic analysis based on alignments of sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. Our results, based on phylogeny, integrated with nucleotide divergence and morphology, revealed the diversity of isolated Tulasnella species, which included four new species, namely, Tulasnella brigadeiroensis, Tulasnella hadrolaeliae, Tulasnella orchidis and Tulasnella zygopetali. The conservation of these species is important due to their association with endangered orchid hosts and endemic features in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.