Kyrylo G. Savchenko

Anthracoidea caricis-meadii is a new North American smut fungus on Carex sect. Paniceae

The morphology and phylogeny of Anthracoidea on Carex meadii (sect. Paniceae) collected in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, USA, were studied by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and LSU rDNA sequence analyses. As a result A. caricis-meadii sp. nov. is described. The fungus differs morphologically from Anthracoidea laxae and A. paniceae, which also occur on sedges from the section Paniceae. Molecular analyses support the placement of the latter species and Anthracoidea caricis-meadii in different phylogenetic lineages. Because of morphological discrepancies in the literature, A. laxae and A. paniceae also are described and illustrated based on re-examination of respective holotype and isotype specimens.

Revision of Entyloma (Entylomatales, Exobasidiomycetes) on Eryngium

The genus Entyloma consists of more than 160 species of smut fungi distributed worldwide on dicots, with Apiaceae being one of the main host families. This study aims to clarify the systematics and phylogeny of Entyloma on Eryngium (Apiaceae) with molecular and morphological data. Eleven species from Eryngium are discussed herein. Four of them are described as new taxa: E. carmeli sp. nov. on Eryngium falcatum, E. eryngii-cretici sp. nov. on Eryngium creticum, E. eryngii-maritimi sp. nov. on Eryngium maritimum and E. ho-chunkii sp. nov. on Eryngium yuccifolium. Analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA is presented and supports the polyphyly of Entyloma on Eryngium.

Stripe smuts of grasses: one lineage or high levels of polyphyly?

Stripe smut of grasses, Ustilago striiformis s.l., is a complex of smut fungi widely distributed over temperate and subtropical regions. The disease results in the shredding and death of leaf tissue following the rupture of elongated sori. Nearly 100 different grass species in more than 30 genera are infected by stripe smut. During the last two centuries more than 30 smut taxa have been described from members of this complex. The present study attempts to clarify the taxonomy and phylogeny of stripe smuts on grasses by analysing both morphological and molecular data. More than 200 specimens from different continents and host plants were examined. DNA was extracted from teliospores of 23 specimens from different hosts collected in Europe, Asia, and North America. The ITS and LSU regions of ribosomal DNA were amplified and used in phylogenetic analyses. The results of Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analyses demonstrated that there are several lineages of stripe smut fungi. Analyses of morphological characters assessed with light and scanning electron microscopy showed high support for the differentiation of two clades as distinct from U. striiformis s.l., i.e., U. nunavutica sp. nov. and U. bromina. Two additional clades, U. striiformis s.str. on Holcus and a clade containing specimens from Elymus, were identified with molecular data although morphological differences were not apparent. Descriptions are given for each species.

A contribution to the study of smut fungi of Israel.

Four species of smut fungi, Antherospora vaillantii, Microbotryum holostei, Urocystis magica, and U. muscaridis, are reported for the first time in Israel. Urocystis magica was found in the Judean desert on a new host plant, Allium rothii, and M. holostei is new for Asia.