The rust fungi (Uredinales) on ferns in South Africa

Abstract

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 fern.

Species identification of European forest pathogens of the genus Milesina (Pucciniales) using urediniospore morphology and molecular barcoding including M. woodwardiana sp. nov.

“…The number, position and size of germ pores have not been documented even in more recent studies of Milesina (Berndt 2008). Additionally, in Chrysomyxa , another genus of Pucciniastraceae (Cao et al 2017), no germ pores were shown.…”

“…Fern rust species on the telial hosts are characterised and distinguished mainly by host taxonomy (telial host genus), size, shape and ornamentation of urediniospores (e.g. Moss 1926, Faull 1932, Berndt 2008) and the results of inoculation experiments (Hunter 1935, 1936, Kamei 1940, Klebahn 1916; Mayor 1944). In contrast to urediniospores, teliospores are either not formed regularly or at all and teliospore features are obscure.…”

“…Most species occur in parts of the northern hemisphere with temperate climates and Abies populations ( Faull 1932 ). A few species are also found in the southern hemisphere outside the natural area of Abies species ( Liu 1971 ), for example, South and Central America, South Africa and New Zealand ( Berndt 2008 ). According to Sinclair and Lyon (2005) , species of the genus Milesina and Uredinopsis (both called fir-fern rust) may cause needle browning and/or defoliation and occasionally cause economic damage in Christmas tree plantations in Canada.…”

A dynamic, web-based resource to identify rust fungi (Pucciniales) in southern Africa

“…Firstly, a list is outdated after any taxonomic change or new discovery. For example, since Berndt (2008b) compiled the latest list of rust fungi for southern Africa, at least four new species were described (Berndt 2008a;Maier et al 2015;Martin et al 2017;Wood et al 2014), several new species reported (Berndt 2009;McTaggart et al 2015b;Mostert et al 2008;Mostert et al 2010;Roux et al 2013) and names changed (Beenken and Wood 2015;Berndt 2008a). Secondly, lists often do not provide information on morphology or how to identify taxa.…”

Additions to the rust fungi of South Africa

“…A total of 49 of these recorded taxa have been recognized meanwhile to represent anamorph states or synonyms of already known species (Crous et al 2006). Thus, about 110 species were added to the South African rust mycobiota during the last 60 years, many of them only recently (e.g., Berndt 2008bBerndt , 2010Berndt and Uhlmann 2006;Mennicken and Oberwinkler 2004;Wood 2006Wood , 2007 indicating that South Africa remains under-collected. An important aspect is that many of the described species have been collected only once or a few times and are therefore incompletely known with regard to morphological characters and variability, host range and geographical distribution.…”