Abstract: Seven new leaf samples of Fraxinus hupehensis were collected in Jingshan City, Hubei Province. The diversity of endophytic fungi was identified via isolation and culture on 4 media and sequencing of ITS sequences, and the similarities and differences of endophytic fungal communities between Fraxinus hupehensis and other forest plants were compared. The results showed that 454 fungal strains were isolated and identified, which belonged to 2 phyla, 5 classes and 29 genera. Isolation frequency analysis found that Diaporthe, Nigrospora, Colletotrichum and Alternaria were four genera with the higher isolation frequency, reaching 30.40%, 12.78%, 10.79% and 10.79%, respectively. The endophytic fungi isolated from a single leaf sample could be classified into 8~16 genera, and the dominant endophytic fungi and their isolation frequency were similar among different samples. The comparison of endophytic fungal communities showed that the agricultural and woodland environments of the sample trees were more likely to affect endophytic fungal communities than tree age. The total number of endophytic fungi genera from new leaf samples of Fraxinus hupehensis was relatively higher than that of other forest plants studied, which initially showed a higher diversity of endophytic fungi from Fraxinus hupehensis.

Key words: Fraxinus hupehensis, endophytic fungus, community, diversity, Hubei Province