Rhizoctonia-like mycorrhizal fungi Epulorhiza spp. have been isolated from orchids of the genus Epidendrum and have been used to promote the symbiotic germination of orchid seeds. Epidendrum secundum is a widely distributed orchid in campo de altitude (high elevation grassy vegetation) regions of the State Park of Serra do Brigadeiro (PESB), Minas Gerais, Brazil, and little is known about the mycorrhizal relationships of this species in the park. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological diversity of Rhizoctonialike mycorrhizal fungi isolated from four E. secundum populations growing in three regions of a campo de altitude, in the region of Totem Deitado Mountain, PESB. Twenty-six fungal isolates were obtained, all belonging to Epulorhiza. The quantitative and qualitative morphological characteristics revealed, in general, low variability among the fungi isolated from the same orchid population and among isolates from the same region, but high variability among the fungi isolated from the populations from different regions. Based on these morphological characteristics, the isolates were separated into four groups. The first consisted of the fungi from populations I and II from region A, the second of isolates from population III from region B, the third of isolate M61 from population II from region C, and the fourth of a single isolate obtained from population IV from region C. The morphological variability observed indicates the existence of diversity of Epulorhiza spp. associated with E. secundum in PESB.
biodiversity; conservation; Rhizoctonia-like fungi; orchid; symbiosis
