Articles by Taxonomic Group

Microbotryum marginale is reported for the first time on Bistorta plumosa, based on a collection from the Yukon coast, Canadian Arctic, at 68°55'N. This locality is a new northern limit for M. marginale in North America.

The group of seed-destroying Microbotryum species on caryophyllaceous hosts includes ten species, among which only M. alsines, on Stellaria nitens from USA, is known on Stellaria. Recently, a specimen of Stellaria media from Greece, infected by a seed-destroying Microbotryum species, was found in a phanerogams herbarium. Based on distinct morphology and phylogenetic evidence, this fungus was considered to represent an unknown species which is described and illustrated as Microbotryum graecum. It can be distinguished from M. alsines by having smaller spores, fewer meshes per spore diameter, a different spore ornamentation, wider meshes, and higher spore wall muri.

Two generic names, Meira and Acaromyces, and nineteen species names of basidiomycetous yeasts, earlier proposed and invalidly published, are validated.

Bauerago (with B. abstrusa on Juncus as the type species) is a small genus in the Microbotryales. Its species infect plants belonging to three, monocotyledonous families, Commelinaceae (Commelina and Tinantia), Juncaceae (Juncus and Luzula), and Cyperaceae (Cyperus). There are four Bauerago species on hosts in the Commelinaceae (three species on Commelina and one on Tinantia). Bauerago commelinae on Commelina communis was studied by molecular and morphological methods. Phylogenetic analyses using rDNA (ITS, LSU, and SSU) sequences indicate that B. commelinae does not cluster with other species of Bauerago on Juncaceae. For accommodation of this smut fungus in the Microbotryaceae, a new genus, Kalmanago, is introduced, with four new combinations: Kalmanago commelinae (Kom.) Denchev et al., K. combensis (Vánky) T. Denchev et al., K. boliviana (M. Piepenbr.) T. Denchev et al., and K. tinantiae (J.C. Lindq.) T. Denchev et al. A lectotype is designated for K. commelinae.

Two smut fungi, Bauerago vuyckii on Luzula alpina and Moreaua kochiana on Schoenus nigricans and Schoenus ×scheuchzeri, are reported for the first time from Austria. Luzula alpina is a new host association for Bauerago vuyckii. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for these taxa.

A type specimen of Bauerago capensis, a smut fungus endemic to the Cape Floristic Region, is re-examined and designated as a lectotype. An emended description of that species and for the first time, illustrations of the spores in SEM are presented.

Microbotryum polygoni-alati, known only from India and China, is reported for the first time from Africa (from Ethiopia).

Haradaea moenchiae-manticae is reported for the first time from the Iberian Peninsula (from Spain), on Moenchia erecta subsp. erecta, and from Africa (from Morocco and Algeria), on a new host plant, M. erecta subsp. octandra.

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.

Synnemacrodictys stilboidea on Ailanthus altissima and Juniperus chinensis is recorded for the first time from Korea and Asia. Occurrence of Diplodia subtecta on Acer palmatum, Melanconis aucta on Alnus glutinosa, and Microbotryum stellariae on Stellaria graminea is reported from Bulgaria. Records of three larger basidiomycetes are given as new for Ukraine (Cantharellus amethysteus) and Bulgaria (Sarcodon joeides and Pluteus salicinus). A new Turkish record of a myxomycete, Physarum perfectum, is also presented.

Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and morphological studies, three new cryptic species of
Microbotryum, M. silenes-dioicae on Silene dioica, M. shykoffianum on Dianthus sylvestris, and M. carthusianorum on Dianthus carthusianorum, are described and illustrated. For Ustilago superba on Dianthus superbus, a new combination in Microbotryum, M. superbum, is proposed.

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.

A revision of Haradaea alsineae on Stellaria nitens was carried out. A description and illustrations of this species are presented.

A new combination of Ustilago primulae on Primula clusiana in Bauhinus is proposed.

The taxonomic status of Microbotryum species on Silene vulgaris, Lychnis viscaria, and L. alpina is discussed. A new species on Lychnis viscaria, Microbotryum lagerheimii, is described and illustrated.

A new anther smut fungus on Silene uralensis, Microbotryum savilei, is described and illustrated from Canada.

A new combination of Microbotryum afromontanum on Cerastium afromontanum in Haradaea is proposed.

The current status of former Ustilago species on dicotyledonous plants, recently treated as members of the Microbotryaceae, is discussed. Almaraz et al. (2002) pointed out that the genus Microbotryum is restricted to the anthericolous smuts on Caryophyllaceae, based on the sequence analysis of ITS rDNA. They concluded that Sphacelotheca and ovariicolous Microbotryum species on Caryophyllaceae, or at least, Microbotryum duriaeanum, are generically distinct from Microbotryum s. str. These results, on the one hand, alter the taxonomic scheme of the Microbotryaceae and, on the other, reestablish the genus name Bauhinus, reduced by some recent authors to a synonym of Microbotryum, as a correct name. Twenty-six new combinations in Bauhinus are proposed: B. ahmadianus, B. anomalus, B. calandriniicola, B. calyptratae, B. cilinodis, B. coronatus, B. dehiscens, B. dumosus, B. filamenticola, B. lewisiae, B. longisetus, B. ocrearum, B. paucireticulatus, B. perfoliatae, B. picaceus, B. polygoni-alati, B. prostratus, B. radians, B. scabiosae, B. shastensis, B. silybi, B. stewartii, B. tenuisporus, B. tovarae, B. tuberculiformis, and B. tumeformis. A new genus, Haradaea, is described to accommodate the seed-destroying species of Ustilago on Caryophyllaceae. It unites seven species: H. alsineae, H. arenariae-bryophyllae, H. duriaeana, H. holostei, H. jehudana, H. moenchiae-manticae, and H. nivalis.

The 470 smut fungi, published in the book European smut fungi by Vánky (1994), and a further fourteen species, missed or recorded after 1994, are listed according to their recent nomenclature. Extensive changes in the classification and nomenclature of the smut fungi has resulted in changed generic names of one third of the European smut fungi since 1994.

The alarming loss of biodiversity of the earth is briefly mentioned, to show the importance of herbaria in the inventory and conservation of gene-pools of plants and fungi in general, and those of smut fungi by the activity of H.U.V. (Herb. Ustil. Vánky) in special.

After a short historical review, taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus Microbotryum in general, and those of the anther smuts of Caryophyllaceae in special, are presented. Problems in species delimitation of these smut fungi are discussed, which is still not solved satisfactorily. Until a better classification of the anther smuts of Caryophyllaceae will be elaborated, the use of the name of M. violaceum s. lat. is proposed for M. dianthorum, M. lychnidis-dioicae, M. silenes-inflatae, Ustilago coronariae, U. silenes-nutantis, and U. superba.