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.

Three names of families in the Pucciniomycotina, Spiculogloeaceae, Erythrobasidiaceae, and Naohideaceae, are validated.

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 taxonomic revision of Melampsora on Populus in Bulgaria was carried out. The study yielded distributions of M. allii-populina, M. populnea (f. sp. laricis, f. sp. magnusiana, f. sp. pinitorqua, and f. sp. rostrupii) and M. larici-populina on 20 host species of Allium, Mercurialis, Pinus, and Populus, representing a total of 28 rust/host combinations. Three species of Populus are recorded as new hosts for Bulgaria. The morphological characteristics and distribution of these rust fungi are reported.