The rust fungi (Uredinales) on ferns in South Africa

The rust fungi (Uredinales, basidiomycota) occuring on ferns (Pteridophyta) in South Africa are described, illustrated and keyed out. All species belong to the pucciniastraceous genera Milesina (M. blechni), Uredinopsis (U. pteridis) or to the related uredinial anamorph genus Milesia (M. nervisequa, M. cf. magellanica, M. silvae-knysnae). Milesia silvae-knysnae on Polystichum pungens is new to science; it probably belongs to the teleomorph genus Milesina. Milesina blechni is reported from South Africa for the first time on the new hosts Blechnum punctulatum and Rumohra adiantoides; it has hitherto been known only from the Northern Hemisphere on Blechnum spicant. Rust specimens collected on Asplenium aethiopicum and A. rutifolium were tentatively assigned to Milesia magellanica which has been known so far only from southern Chile. Hyalopsora neocheilanthis, Milesina neoexigua and M. neovogesiaca are proposed as new names for Hyalopsora cheilanthis, Milesia exigua and M. vogesiaca. It is discussed that the pucciniastraceous fern rusts could have reached South Africa either by migration (M. blechni) or by long-distance air dispersal. In the absence of their gametophyte hosts, species of Abies (Pinaceae), the rusts have to propagate in South Africa by urediniospores infecting fern to fer

A global survey of Puccinia -rust on Cucurbitaceae

In this paper, all known autoecious Puccinia species (rust fungi, Uredinales) on Cucurbitaceae are described and most of them illustrated. A key and information on their host range and distribution is presented. Four species, Puccinia antennata, P. arbor-miraculensis, P. hieroglyphica, and P. rhytidioderma are proposed as new. P. momordicae and P. trochomeriae are recognised as valid species different from P. cephalandrae. Uredo melothriae is a new combination for Uromyces melothriae. P. cucumeris is a new report for Namibia, P. momordicae for Zimbabwe and P. vanderystii for Kenya. The species appear to be host specific with regard to host tribes, but P. citrulli and P. cucumeris may pass tribal boundaries. Most species are morphologically very similar and are characterised by a unique set of teliospore characters. They are therefore regarded as a natural group. The distribution of this group in semiarid habitats, mainly from southern Africa to India, is discusse

New species of rust fungi (Uredinales) from South Africa and new observations on known species

Four new species and a new variety of rust fungi (Uredinales) are described from South Africa: Puccinia montis-venenosi on Galium spurium ssp. africanum and G. tomentosum, P. naufraga on Helichrysum sp., Uredo fynbosense on Phylica oleifolia and Ph. buxifolia, Uromyces eclipsis on Zygophyllum morgsana, and Puccinia lycii var. bizonata on Lycium sp. Puccinia austro-africana is proposed as a new combination for P. tetragoniae var. austro-africana on Tetragonia. New observations are presented about already known species: The uredinial stage of Uromyces pentaschistidis is described; Uredo monechmatis is newly reported for South Africa on new hosts and its uredinial morphology is described; a detailed description is provided for the poorly known P. anthospermi; the identity of Uredo zygophylli, U. zygophyllina and Uromyces dinteri is discussed; a key is presented for the known Puccinia species on Helichrysum in South Afric

Species richness, taxonomy and peculiarities of the neotropical rust fungi: are they more diverse in the Neotropics?

The species richness of rust fungi (Pucciniales or Uredinales) in the neotropics is reviewed. Species numbers are presented for all neotropical countries and rust-plant-ratios calculated. It is discussed whether the ratio for a given region can be explained by the species richness of vascular plants alone or whether it is caused by additional factors. In the first case, ratios should apply globally and vary only slightly; in the second case, more diverging ratios are expected. Observed ratios ranged between 1:16 and 1:124 in the neotropics. The large differences are certainly influenced by unequal levels of investigation, rendering interpretation difficult. Differences seem also to be influenced by the taxonomic composition of floras regarding the percentage of host families or genera bearing different numbers of rust species. This indicates that rust species richness is not driven solely by plant species richness. Ratios calculated for Switzerland, Austria and Japan are distinctly higher than for the neotropics indicating that certain temperate regions are proportionally richer in rust fungi than the neotropics. Uredinial states and short-cycled rust species prevail in the neotropics. The preponderance of uredinial states may be due to the heterogeneous spatial composition of certain vegetation types in the wet tropics. Short-cycled rusts may be adapted to a pronounced seasonality that can be encountered in many drier neotropical biomes. Future research needs to fill our knowledge gaps on the taxonomy and ecology of neotropical rust fungi are discusse

First catalogue of the rust fungi of French Guiana, northern South America

An annotated list of the rust fungi (Uredinales or Pucciniales) of French Guiana is presented. It enumerates 68 species of which 57 are new reports for the department and 3, Aecidium plukenetiae, Puccinia kourouensis and P. parianicola, are new to science. Dicheirinia guianensis and Hapalophragmium angylocalycis are excluded from the French Guianan mycobiota. New host plants are reported for Batistopsora crucis-filii, B. pistila, Cerotelium ficicola, C. sabiceae, Crossopsora piperis, Desmella aneimiae, Endophyllum guttatum, Kweilingia divina, Puccinia lateritia, Uredo anthurii and Uromyces anguriae. Previously undescribed characters are presented for Achrotelium lucumae, Chaconia ingae, Cerotelium sabiceae, Prospodium amapaensis, Sphenospora smilacina and Uromyces wulffiae-stenoglossae. Chaconia ingae showed haustorial complexes comprising both intracellular hyphae and D-haustoria. In Cerotelium sabiceae, the haustorial mother cells retained the nuclei while D-haustoria were enucleate. The occurrence of these haustorial types in tropical rust fungi is discussed. Internal basidium formation is described for the first time in Sphenospora: teliospores of S. smilacina produced external or internal basidia. The species richness and composition of the French Guianan rust mycobiota are discussed in a neotropical contex

Taxonomic revision of Endoraecium digitatum (rust fungi, Uredinales) with description of four new species from Australia and Hawaii

Endoraecium digitatum was described on Acacia notabilis from South Australia but has been reported on more than 20 Acacia spp. throughout the Australian and the Pacific regions. Results are presented on the micro-morphology and taxonomy of E. digitatum from different Acacia species and geographic provenience. E. digitatum revealed a highly non-uniform morphology and is considered a species complex comprising at least six morphologically distinct rust fungi. The name E. digitatum could not be applied to any of the distinguished species by a comparison with available type specimens or the original description as types were depleted and the diagnosis not detailed enough. An epitype is therefore proposed to supplement the lectotype of E. digitatum selected here and to allow delimitation of the new species E. parvum, E. violae-faustae and E. walkerianum from Australia, and E. kauaianum from Hawaii. Endoraecium phyllodiorum is shown to be different from E. digitatum and is proposed as a new combination for Uromyces phyllodiorum. Specimens from Hawaii formerly considered to be E. digitatum represent two species, E. kauaianum and another one preliminarily assigned to E. phyllodiorum. The investigated species show differences between and plasticity within their life cycles. E. parvum, E. violae-faustae and E. kauaianum are macrocyclic. In E. walkerianum, only demicyclic specimens were found, while demi- and macrocyclic specimens occurred in E. digitatum. E. phyllodiorum revealed variable combinations of spore states as well and comprised macro-, demi- and microcyclic life cycle variants. Life cycle variants were considered to express specific variability and were not used to create new taxa. The present results indicate that members of the E. digitatum complex in Australia are not narrowly host specific. Keys are presented for the Australian and Hawaiian species. Taxonomical novelties: Endoraecium kauaianum R. Berndt, Endoraecium parvum R. Berndt, Endoraecium phyllodiorum (McAlp.) R. Berndt, Endoraecium violae-faustae R. Berndt and Endoraecium walkerianum R. Bernd

The rust fungi of Luzuriaga (Luzuriagaceae) with description of a new species, Puccinia luzuriagae-polyphyllae

Three species of rust fungi (Uredinales), Puccinia perforans, P. fuegiana (= Uromyces skottsbergii), and Aecidium callixenis have been described on members of Luzuriaga (Luzuriagaceae). Puccinia luzuriagae-polyphyllae is added as a new species on Luzuriaga polyphylla from Chile. The rust had been confused hitherto with P. perforans occurring on L. radicans. Both species differ from P. fuegiana on L. marginata by the absence of a uredinial state and several telial characters. The investigated collections of Puccinia species on Luzuriaga indicate that each is restricted to a single host species. A determination key is presente

Additions to the rust fungi of South Africa

This paper presents new species, combinations, national reports and host records for the South African rust fungi (Uredinales/Pucciniales). Endophyllum mpenjatiense on cf. Hibiscus sp. (Malvaceae), Phakopsora combretorum (anamorph Uredo combreticola) on the new host Combretum apiculatum (Combretaceae) and Uredo sekhukhunensis on Ziziphus mucronata (Rhamnaceae) are described as new species. Dietelia cardiospermi and E. metalasiae are proposed as new combinations to replace Aecidium cardiospermi on Cardiospermum halicacabum (Sapindaceae) and A. metalasiae on Metalasia spp. (Asteraceae), respectively. Four species are new records for South Africa: Crossopsora antidesmae-dioicae on Antidesma venosum (Euphorbiaceae), Phakopsora ziziphi-vulgaris on Z. mucronata, and Uromyces cypericola and Puccinia subcoronata, both on a new host, Cyperus albostriatus (Cyperaceae). The record of P. subcoronata is the first one from outside the New World. Puccinia scirpi is reported as a possible addition to the South African rust fungi. New host records and observations are presented for Pucciniastrum agrimoniae that is recorded on two new host genera and species, Cliffortia odorata and Leucosidea sericea (Rosaceae), Uromyces cypericola whose urediniospores are described for the first time, Phakopsora stratosa in that spermogonia and Uredo-like aecia were discovered, and for Sphaerophragmium dalbergiae in that characters of the urediniospores are re-evaluated. A lectotype is selected for Aecidium garckeanum and spermogonia are reported for this rust for the first time. The rust fungi of Ehrharta (Poaceae) are discussed and critically evaluated in the light of spore morphology and host specie

Chaconia heliconiae and C. clusiae sp. novae from French Guiana with notes on the genus Chaconia (Uredinales/Pucciniales) in the neotropics

Chaconia clusiae on Clusia cf. palmicida (Clusiaceae) and C. heliconiae on Heliconia psittacorum, H. bihai and Heliconia sp. (Heliconiaceae) are described as new from French Guiana in northern South America. Clusiaceae and Heliconiaceae are new host families for members of Chaconia, Heliconiaceae is the first one from Monocotyledoneae. Chaconia clusiae, C. heliconiae and C. maprouneae formed tuberous to worm-like D-haustoria originating from haustorial mother cells that were part of the intercellular parasitic mycelium. A key to the recognized Chaconia spp. is provide

Performance test of the Multi-Channel Analyzer MCA-527 for Nuclear Safeguards Applications Test in the PERLA Laboratory at JRC, Ispra

The multi channel analyzer MCA-166 of GBS Rossendorf GmbH, Germany, has been a base instrument for gamma spectrometry both of IAEA and EURATOM for nuclear safeguards applications. Since essential internal electronic chips of the MCA-166 are not provided any more IAEA and the German support program to the IAEA decided to endorse the development of a follower instrument, the MCA-527, with the same company. The performance of this new instrument was tested with respect to parameters, which are essential for safeguards applications: Dead time correction for U enrichment measurements, peak shape for high resolution applications MGA and MGAU, high count rate performance with CdZnTe detectors for spent nuclear fuel, temperature stability of the MCA itself. The tests cover all important detector types applied by IAEA and EURATOM: NaI, NaI with internal Am source, planar Ge, coaxial Ge, LaBr3, and CdZnTe detectors. The tests were made with nuclear materials U and Pu, and with 137Cs and 60Co to simulate spent nuclear fuel. They cover count rate ranges up to about 70 000 … 100 000 cps for U and Pu and with CdZnTe detectors up to 300 000 cps. The report provides a series of setup files for different detector types. The result of the test is: The performance of the MCA-527 meets the functional requirements for gamma spectrometric measurements for nuclear safeguards applications. Its parameters are as good as or the ones of the MCA-166 or superior to them. The MCA-527 can also be used for neutron measurements in List mode. Its performance for neutron counting will be described in separate report.JRC.E.8-Nuclear securit