Molecular Phylogeny of Endophytic Fungi from Rattan ( Griff.) Spines and Their Antagonistic Activities against Plant Pathogenic Fungi.

is a common rattan palm species in the tropical forests of Peninsular Malaysia and is noticeable by the yellow-based spines that cover the stems. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of fungal endophytes within spines and whether they inhibit the growth of fungal pathogens. Twenty-one genera with 40 species of fungal endophytes were isolated and identified from rattan palm spines. Based on molecular identification, the most common isolates recovered from the spines were ( 19) and spp. ( 18), followed by spp., sp., spp., spp., spp., spp., spp., sp., sp., spp., sp., sp., and spp. Non-sporulating fungi were also identified, namely , , , , , and . The isolation of these endophytes showed that the spines harbor endophytic fungi. Most of the fungal endophytes inhibited the growth of several plant pathogenic fungi, with 68% of the interactions resulting in mutual inhibition, producing a clear inhibition zone of <2 mm. Our findings demonstrate the potential of the fungal endophytes from spines as biocontrol agents.