Articles by Taxonomic Group

Thecaphora thlaspeos, known only from Europe and East Asia (South Korea), is reported for the first time from Africa (from Algeria), on a new host plant, Arabis pubescens.

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.

Two new Thecaphora species, T. ulicis on Ulex minor from England, and T. hosackiae on Hosackia parviflora from the U.S.A., are described.

A third Thecaphora species on Androsace, T. pakistanica on A. rotundifolia is described from Pakistan.

Silene thymifolia is reported as a new host of Thecaphora saponariae.