Articles by Taxonomic Group

Two poorly known smut fungi are recorded for the first time from Africa: Tilletia brachypodii-ramosi on Brachypodium retusum (from Morocco) and Ustilago constantineanui on Sporobolus schoenoides (from Algeria). Descriptions and illustrations are provided for these taxa.

Anthracocystis compacta, known only from the type collection from Senegal, is reported from a second locality, from Mali.

Four species of smut fungi are reported for the first time from the following areas: Melanopsichium pennsylvanicum from Egypt and Madagascar, Sporisorium foveolati from the Canary Islands and Somalia, Sporisorium lanigeri from Somalia, on a new host, Cymbopogon pospischilii, and Urocystis corsica from the Canary Islands. Echinochloa stagnina is a new host of Ustilago trichophora in Africa (based on a record from Zambia).

Langdonia aristidae is reported for the first time from Madagascar, on a new host plant, Aristida tenuissima.

Sporisorium nyassae is reported for the first time from Togo and Benin. Hyparrhenia nyassae and H. diplandra var. mutica are recorded as new host plants of Sporisorium nyassae. Based on the current revision, Sporisorium barcinonense is removed from the list of smut fungi in Togo. Cintractia limitata is reported for the first time from Benin. All species of smut fungi known from Togo and Benin and their host plants are listed.

A new genus of smut fungi, Aizoago, is described and illustrated, with two new species, A. tetragoniae on Tetragonia diptera and A. tetragonioides on T. tetragonioides (Aizoaceae), from Australia.

An emended description of the genus Anomalomyces is given to accommodate a new species of smut fungus, Anomalomyces yakirrae, on Yakirra pauciflora (Poaceae) from Australia. The systematic placement of the fungus within the genus Anomalomyces is based on morphological characters and molecular data from two loci.

A new species of Sporisorium, S. emariae on Sclerachne punctata (Poaceae), is described and illustrated from Transcaucasia, Republic of Georgia.

A new family, Erratomycetaceae, is described as distinct from Tilletiaceae based on host specialization, morphological features of the sori and spores, and results of published molecular phylogenetic analyses. Eight invalidly published names of Indian smut fungi are discussed. Four of these are considered to apply to distinct species and their names are validated as Eballistra punensis, Anthracocystis kolhapurensis, Sporisorium mahabaleshwarense, and Sporisorium lohagadense. The remaining names are recognized as synonyms of validly published names. A new name, Anthracocystis guoae, is proposed to replace Sporisorium apludae-muticae L. Guo (non Anthracocystis apludae-muticae (A.R. Patil et al.) McTaggart & R.G. Shivas).

Seven new species, Anthracoidea breweri on Carex breweri and C. subnigricans from USA, Anthracoidea griseae on Carex grisea from USA, Farysia echinulata on Carex fischeri from Kenya, Tilletia avenastri on Avenastrum turgidulum from Lesotho, Urocystis anemonae-narcissiflorae on Anemone narcissiflora from Canada, Ustanciosporium venezuelanum on Rhynchospora sp. from Venezuela, and Ustilago buchloëformis on Bouteloua repens from Mexico are described and illustrated.

A new genus of smut fungi, Tubisorus, is proposed for Sorosporium pachycarpum on Mnesithea rottboellioides, Poaceae.

A new genus of smut fungi, Bambusiomyces is proposed for Ustilago shiraiana on host plants in the tribe Bambuseae of Poaceae.

Anthracoidea melanostachyae on Carex melanostachya from Iran is described and illustrated.

Two new species of Moreaua are described from endemic species of Cyperaceae (sedges) in Western Australia. Moreaua actinoschoeni occurs on Actinoschoenus sp. in the far north, and M. chrysitricis occurs on Chrysitrix distigmatosa in the mid west. These are the first smut fungi to be found on these two genera of sedges. Moreaua chrysitricis is the third smut fungus to have been found on a sedge in the subfamily Mapanioideae.

The checklist of the smut fungi of Africa and adjacent islands contains 427 species in 47 genera, arranged alphabetically. A short description of each genus is provided. For each species the author(s), place of publication, type(s), nomenclatural and taxonomic synonyms are given, as well as the host plant family, host plant genus (genera), and general distribution are mentioned. For each species the African host plants and the countries from where they are known are enumerated. A chapter of doubtful, excluded or invalidly published taxa is compiled. A list of selected literature is completing the paper. The checklist reflects the great, but incompletely known biodiversity of Africa.

Conservation of fungal diversity needs to be integrated. Smut fungi are potentially a key group for illustrating the problems encountered when estimating the conservation status of microscopic fungi. Various difficulties in assessing the status of smut fungi are described. Examples are provided of threatened species of smut fungi, evaluated with IUCN criteria.

In addition to the 46 known smut fungi of Bolivia, a further 16 species are reported as new to Bolivia, three of which are new to science, viz. Moreaua scirpi, Sporisorium christineae and Tilletia spinulosa. New host plants are given for four smut fungi.

Identification keys to smut fungi (Ustilaginomycotina p.p. and Microbotryales) of 14 selected host plant families and 51 keys to 92 selected host plant genera are presented to facilitate world-wide identification of these plant parasitic microfungi.

Several species of smut fungi not previously recorded in Thailand were collected in December 2007. Amongst these were two new species, Sporisorium likhitekarajae on Ischaemum sp. and Tilletia isachneicola on Isachne globosa, which are described and compared with related species.

A new smut fungus, Macalpinomyces viridans on Sporobolus actinocladus is described from Australia. It is compared with related species, and a key to the four Macalpinomyces species known on Sporobolus is given.

A new genus, Centrolepidosporium, is proposed to accommodate a new smut fungus, C. sclerodermum, collected in Australia on Centrolepis exserta. The new species is unique in that it produces tightly packed spores in spore balls surrounded by a cortex of sterile cells. This is the first report of a smut fungus on the plant family Centrolepidaceae.

Four new smut fungi are described from Australia, Sporisorium incompletum on Cynodon incompletus, Tilletia lachnagrostidis on Lachnagrostis filiformis, Tranzscheliella austrostipae on Austrostipa verticillata, and Urocystis glabella on Hypoxis glabella.

Eight new smut fungi, collected in Thailand, are described: Macalpinomyces siamensis on Coelorachis striata, Sporisorium clandestinum on Aristida setacea, S. pseudosorghi on Pseudosorghum fasciculare, S. trispicatae on Eulalia trispicata, Tilletia chiangmaiensis on Arundinella bengalensis, T. filisora on Pennisetum setosum, T. lageniformis on Hyparrhenia rufa, and Yelsemia droserae on Drosera burmanni and on D. indica (from Australia).

A new genus, Anomalomyces, is proposed to accommodate a peculiar, new smut fungus, A. panici, collected in Australia, on Panicum trachyrhachis. The new species shares some characteristics of both Sporisorium and Macalpinomyces, but is also unique in possessing two types of sterile cells. Anomalomyces is compared morphologically to the genera Ustilago, Sporisorium, and Macalpinomyces. Its relation to these genera is shown also by molecular analyses of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences. The problems of generic delimitation in this large group of smut fungi are discussed.

Two new species of smut fungi, Macalpinomyces tilletioides and Sporisorium penniseticola, are described and illustrated, both on Pennisetum sphacelatum from Ethiopia.

Phylogenetic analysis of four species of Lundquistia revealed the genus to be polyphyletic. Morphological characters and phylogenetic relationships demonstrate that Lundquistia should be reduced to synonymy with Sporisorium. Three new combinations are proposed: Sporisorium dietelianum, S. duranii, and S. mexicanum. Sporisorium fasicularis is considered a synonym of S. panici-leucophaei.

A new smut fungus, Macalpinomyces arundinellae-setosae, is described on the grass Arundinella setosa from Queensland, Australia. It is compared with the eight known smut fungi on Arundinella and a key for identifying these species is given.

A new genus, Eriomoeszia, is described for Tolyposporium eriocauli (Moesziomyces eriocauli) on Eriocaulon. It is compared with Moesziomyces bullatus, the type species of the genus Moesziomyces, found on Echinochloa and other grass genera.

Two new genera, Eriocaulago and Eriosporium are described. The following new combinations are proposed: Eriocaulago eriocauli, Eriocaulago jagdishwari, Eriosporium hessii, and Eriosporium mesanthemi. Lectotype is designated for Eriosporium mesanthemi.

A new smut fungus, Sporisorium cymbopogonis-bombycini, is described on the grass Cymbopogon bombycinus from Australia. The fourteen known smut fungi, all Sporisorium species, on Cymbopogon are enumerated with their taxonomic synonyms, host plant range and distribution. A key for identifying and differentiating these fungi, and a host plant – smut fungus list are given.