Distribution of yeasts in the phyllosphere of different plants on the territory of Verkiai Regional Park (Vilnius, Lithuania) and their biological peculiarities were studied. Forty two plant species of 33 families were investigated. Ninety five yeast strains belonging to 8 species and 7 genera were isolated from 84 samples of plant leaves. In the phyllosphere of herbaceous plants yeast species of ascomycetous affinity: Torulaspora delbrueckii, Candida sake, Debaryomyces hansenii var. hansenii, Pichia membanifaciens, Pichia anomala dominated (83.3 %). Ascomycetous (Torulaspora delbrueckii, Debaryomyces hansenii var. hansenii) and basidiomycetous yeasts (Trichosporon pullulans, Sporobolomyces roseus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) were isolated rather frequently from leaves of trees, shrubs and semishrubs. The yeasts isolated from phyllosphere demonstrated ability to ferment some hexoses and disaccharides. They also assimilated a broad spectrum of carbohydrate and nitrogen sources. Yeasts demonstrated proteolytic activity and were able to synthesize extracellular starch compounds and organic acids. Lipase activity was not characteristic of any of the tested yeasts.
Keywords: ascomycetous yeasts, basidiomycetous yeasts, leaf surfaces.