Cross-phytogroup assessment of foliar epiphytic mycobiome

The foliar surface forms one of the largest aboveground habitats on Earth and maintains plant-fungus relationships that greatly affect ecosystem functioning. Despite many studies with particular plant species, the foliar epiphytic mycobiome has not been studied across a large number of plant species from different taxa. Here, we collected and sequenced samples of foliar epiphytes from 592 species of plants growing in greenhouses and garden fields of a botanical garden, representing angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes. This study aimed to provide a general understanding of the foliar fungal mycobiomes from pteridophytes to angiosperms by gaining information on the composition and trophic characteristics of the foliar epiphytic mycobiome and the evolutionary relationships between the foliar epiphytic mycobiome and the host plant.