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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

An historical account is given of the smut fungus, Ustacystis waldsteiniae, which is parasitic on members of Rosaceae. This is followed by a short characterisation of the unispecific genus Ustacystis, and a detailed, illustrated description of U. waldsteiniae. Synonyms of the genus and species, host plant range and geographic distribution are also provided.

An historical account of the smut genus Vankya and its type species, V. ornithogali. is given. It is apparent that V. ornithogali does not infect Ornithogalum, only species of Gagea, and that the genus Vankya is restricted to host plants in the Liliaceae s.str. It is shown for the first time that there are sterile cells between the spores of species of Vankya. Detailed descriptions of Vankya and its three species, including the new V. lloydiae on Lloydia triflora, are provided as well as synonyms, host plant ranges, geographic distributions and a key to the species. A lectotype is designated for Ustilago heufleri.

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

The rare Urocystis jaapiana, collected on a new host plant species, Ruscus hypophyllum in Algeria, is described, illustrated, and compared with the type specimen on R. aculeatus.

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.

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.