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.

Tilletia lolioli, previously known only from Lebanon and Iran, is reported from Armenia.

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.

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.

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.

Cladosporium aecidiicola on spermogonia of Tranzschelia pruni-spinosae on Anemone ranunculoides is reported from Austria. It is the first record of this species from spermogonia. The following new records are reported for the first time: Merendera attica, as a new host of Urocystis colchici (from Bulgaria); Helleborus orientalis, as a new host of Urocystis floccosa – a new species for Turkey; Cantharellus amethysteus from Bulgaria; and Badhamia dubia from Turkey. New combinations of Microbotryum viviparum on Polygonum viviparum in Bauhinus, and Neovossia japonica on Alopecurus geniculatus in Tilletia are proposed.

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).