Novel Cryphonectriaceae from La Réunion and South Africa, and their pathogenicity on Eucalyptus

TY - JOUR

T1 - Novel Cryphonectriaceae from La Réunion and South Africa, and their pathogenicity on Eucalyptus

AU - Ali, Daniel B.

AU - Marincowitz, Seonju

AU - Wingfield, Michael J.

AU - Roux, Jolanda

AU - Crous, Pedro W.

AU - McTaggart, Alistair R.

PY - 2018/8/1

Y1 - 2018/8/1

N2 - Fungi in the Cryphonectriaceae are important canker pathogens of plants in the Melastomataceae and Myrtaceae (Myrtales). These fungi are known to undergo host jumps or shifts. In this study, fruiting structures resembling those of Cryphonectriaceae were collected and isolated from dying branches of Syzygium cordatum and root collars of Heteropyxis natalensis in South Africa, and from cankers on the bark of Tibouchina grandifolia in La Réunion. A phylogenetic species concept was used to identify the fungi using partial sequences of the large subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, and two regions of the β-tubulin gene. The results revealed a new genus and species in the Cryphonectriaceae from South Africa that is provided with the name Myrtonectria myrtacearum gen. et sp. nov. Two new species of Celoporthe (Cel.) were recognised from La Réunion and these are described as Cel. borbonica sp. nov. and Cel. tibouchinae sp. nov. The new taxa were mildly pathogenic in pathogenicity tests on a clone of Eucalyptus grandis. Similar to other related taxa in the Cryphonectriaceae, they appear to be endophytes and latent pathogens that could threaten Eucalyptus forestry in the future.

AB - Fungi in the Cryphonectriaceae are important canker pathogens of plants in the Melastomataceae and Myrtaceae (Myrtales). These fungi are known to undergo host jumps or shifts. In this study, fruiting structures resembling those of Cryphonectriaceae were collected and isolated from dying branches of Syzygium cordatum and root collars of Heteropyxis natalensis in South Africa, and from cankers on the bark of Tibouchina grandifolia in La Réunion. A phylogenetic species concept was used to identify the fungi using partial sequences of the large subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, and two regions of the β-tubulin gene. The results revealed a new genus and species in the Cryphonectriaceae from South Africa that is provided with the name Myrtonectria myrtacearum gen. et sp. nov. Two new species of Celoporthe (Cel.) were recognised from La Réunion and these are described as Cel. borbonica sp. nov. and Cel. tibouchinae sp. nov. The new taxa were mildly pathogenic in pathogenicity tests on a clone of Eucalyptus grandis. Similar to other related taxa in the Cryphonectriaceae, they appear to be endophytes and latent pathogens that could threaten Eucalyptus forestry in the future.

KW - Diaporthales

KW - Die-back

KW - Myrtales

KW - New taxa

KW - Stem canker

KW - Taxonomic novelties: Myrtonectria myrtacearum gen. et sp. nov., Celoporthe borbonica sp. nov., Celoporthe tibouchinae sp. nov

KW - Tree disease

U2 - 10.1007/s11557-018-1408-3

DO - 10.1007/s11557-018-1408-3

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85048126852

SN - 1617-416X

VL - 17

SP - 953

EP - 966

JO - Mycological Progress

JF - Mycological Progress

IS - 8

ER -