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    Phylogenetic lineages in the Capnodiales

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    The Capnodiales incorporates plant and human pathogens, endophytes, saprobes and epiphytes, with a wide range of nutritional modes. Several species are lichenised, or occur as parasites on fungi, or animals. The aim of the present study was to use DNA sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal small and large subunit RNA genes to test the monophyly of the Capnodiales, and resolve families within the order. We designed primers to allow the amplification and sequencing of almost the complete nuclear ribosomal small and large subunit RNA genes. Other than the Capnodiaceae (sooty moulds), and the Davidiellaceae, which contains saprobes and plant pathogens, the order presently incorporates families of major plant pathological importance such as the Mycosphaerellaceae, Teratosphaeriaceae and Schizothyriaceae. The Piedraiaceae was not supported, but resolves in the Teratosphaeriaceae. The Dissoconiaceae is introduced as a new family to accommodate Dissoconium and Ramichloridium. Lichenisation, as well as the ability to be saprobic or plant pathogenic evolved more than once in several families, though the taxa in the upper clades of the tree lead us to conclude that the strictly plant pathogenic, nectrotrophic families evolved from saprobic ancestors (Capnodiaceae), which is the more primitive stat

    Re-evaluation of Cryptosporiopsis eucalypti and Cryptosporiopsis-like species occurring on Eucalyptus

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    Cryptosporiopsis eucalypti is a common follicolous pathogen of Eucalyptus species in tropical and temperate regions where these trees are grown in plantations. The taxonomy of C. eucalypti is confused by the fact that it is phylogenetically unrelated to the type species of Cryptosporiopsis (Cryptosporiopsis nigra = C. scutellata, Helotiales). The aim of this study was to resolve the taxonomic position of C. eucalypti based on morphology and phylogenetic inference. Thirty-two Eucalyptus leaf samples with symptoms typical of C. eucalypti infection were collected from 10 tropical and temperate countries across four continents. Cultures were established from single conidia, as well as from ascospores of a previously unreported teleomorph state. DNA sequences were obtained for the 28 S nrDNA, the internal transcribed spacers of the nrDNA operon, and beta-tubulin regions to determine generic and species-level relationships. DNA-sequence analysis showed that conidial and ascospore isolates of C. eucalypti have low intraspecific variation, although two collections from Australia and one from Uruguay represented two novel taxa. Based on the newly collected teleomorph stage, as well as the phylogenetic data, C. eucalypti is shown to represent a new genus closely related to Plagiostoma (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) for which the names Pseudoplagiostoma gen. nov. and Pseudoplagiostomaceae fam. nov. (Diaporthales) are introduced. Two new species of Cryptosporiopsis (Dermateaceae, Helotiales) on Eucalyptus from Australia and California (USA) are also described

    Foliicolous microfungi occurring on Encephalartos

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    Species of Encephalartos, commonly known as bread trees, bread palms or cycads are native to Africa; the genus encompasses more than 60 species and represents an important component of the indigenous African flora. Recently, a leaf blight disease was noted on several E. altensteinii plants growing at the foot of Table Mountain in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens of South Africa. Preliminary isolations from dead and dying leaves of E. altensteinii, E. lebomboensis and E. princeps, collected from South Africa, revealed the presence of several novel microfungi on this host. Novelties include Phaeomoniella capensis, Saccharata kirstenboschensis, Teratosphaeria altensteinii and T. encephalarti. New host records of species previously only known to occur on Proteaceae include Cladophialophora proteae and Catenulostroma microsporum, as well as a hyperparasite, Dactylaria leptosphaeriicola, occurring on ascomata of T. encephalarti

    Phylogeny, phylogeography and movement of Kirramyces spp. associated with leaf blight diseases of plantation eucalypts

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    When this study commenced in early 2004, only five Phaeophleospora species. had been reported from eucalypts of which only two; P. destructans (STE-U 1336) and P. epicoccoides (STE-U 1346) had been sequenced. In a former study, Phaeophleospora species emerged in two separate clades suggesting that Phaeophelospora is polyphyletic. The appearance and severity of lesions on eucalypt leaves are generally used to recognise the species of Phaeophleospora responsible for disease. However, depending on host and climate, the symptoms associated with infection by P. epicoccoides, P. eucalypti and P. destructans can be almost identical and incorrect diagnosis is a common problem. Thus, Phaeophleospora species were compared based on DNA sequences and multi gene genealogies were constructed. In addition species- specific primers were designed and tested on leaf material. Many isolates of Phaeophleospora spp. were collected and sequenced, and all Phaeophleospora spp. from eucalypts were shown to cluster together and are closely related to the most important leaf pathogens associated with eucalypts namely Colletogloeopsis zuluensis, Mycosphaerella cryptica and M. nubilosa. In contrast, these fungi are distantly related to the type specimen of the genus Phaeophleospora, P. eugeniae. Furthermore, all DNA sequences of isolates of P. destructans examined in this thesis, including the ex-type culture, were identical but different to one previously lodged in GenBank. This phylogenetic separation led to a morphological study of the species assigned to Phaeophleospora and compared the species from eucalypts with P. eugeniae the type specimen of Phaeophleospora. The phylogenetic and morphological studies show that P. eugeniae is well separated from Phaeophleospora spp. occurring on eucalypts and led to the resurrection of the previous generic name, Kirramyces for Phaeophleospora spp. occurring on eucalypts. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis and morphological observation of Kirramyces spp. and Colletogloeopsis spp. occurring on eucalypts showed considerable overlap between these two genera. Therefore, Colletogloeopsis was reduced to synonymy with Kirramyces. Consequently, the genus Kirramyces was expanded from five to 14 species, and included the description of two new species, K. angophorae and K. corymbiae. In order to assist with their identification a key based on morphology of conidia for Kirramyces species was developed. Kirramyces destructans is a devastating pathogen originally described from Indonesia in 1996 and has since been found throughout Asia where all common tropical and subtropical plantation eucalypt species and hybrids are susceptible. K. destructans is considered a major biosecurity threat in Australia, both to native eucalypt forests and the tropical plantation industry. Prior to the current study, there had been no investigation into the origin and movement of this important pathogen. Thus, five gene regions and six microsatellite loci were sequenced for 43 representative isolates of K. destructans from a range of geographical locations and hosts. Two microsatellite markers detected very low nucleotide polymorphism (three haplotypes for each loci); five other gene regions, including four microsatellite region were uniform. This low level of genetic diversity provides strong evidence that K. destructans was introduced into Indonesia as a founder population and that it has subsequently been spread throughout Asia via human-mediated movement of germplasm. Timor and Northern Australia were considered to be a possible source of origin of this fungus, but the high susceptibility of native E. urophylla to K. destructans in Timor indicates that the pathogen is unlikely to be endemic to Timor. The current distribution of Kirramyces eucalypti is New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand (North Island). The main host of this pathogen is E. nitens which is native to Victoria and New South Wales. Kirramyces eucalypti has not been found in South Africa, yet it causes a severe disease on eucalypt hybrids originating from South Africa growing in New South Wales indicating movement to these hybrids from either native eucalypts or nearby plantations. As such, K. eucalypti poses a threat for the plantation industry in sub-tropical and tropical Australia. The phylogeography of K. eucalypti in Australia and New Zealand was studied by sequencing three gene regions and one microsatellite locus of fifty-seven representative isolates of K. eucalypti from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand. The highest genetic variation was found among isolates from NSW suggesting that K. eucalypti originates from NSW. Isolates in New Zealand appear to have been introduced from NSW. Isolates from Queensland were consistently different to those from other regions and may in fact represent a cryptic species or a hybrid. During monitoring of eucalypt taxa trials in far North Queensland, infected leaves resembling symptoms typical of K. destructans were collected and examined. Phylogenetic data based on three gene regions and some morphological characteristics revealed a new taxon described in this study as K. viscidus. Kirramyces viscidus was also shown to be closely related to the devastating pathogen K. destructans. Kirramyces viscidus had been found to cause extensive damage to eucalypt hybrids originating from South America, and less damage to E. grandis from Australia, indicating that this pathogen is probably endemic to Australia. Kirramyces viscidus has the potential to seriously damage tropical eucalypt plantations, especially if clonal and planted off-site. In conclusion, this study resurrected genus Kirramyces for the Phaeophleospora and Coletoglloeopsis spp. occurring on eucalypts. It also studied the phylogeography and gene flow of the two most important Kirramyces species, K. destructans and K. eucalypti and describes three new Kirramcyes spp. found on eucalypts in Australia. Very recently, K. destructans has been discovered in Northern Australia. This raises a whole series of new issues as there are now several pathogens, K. eucalypti, K. viscidus and K. destructans present in Australia that known to cause serious damage on plantation eucalypts. Recent investigations have also revealed several undescribed Kirramyces spp. in Northern Australia. Their impact, distribution, movement and potential for hybridization now need to be examined

    Calonectria species associated with cutting rot of Eucalyptus

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    Decline in the productivity of Eucalyptus hybrid cutting production in the Guangdong Province of China is linked to cutting rot associated with several Calonectria spp. The aim of this study was to identify these fungi using morphological and DNA sequence comparisons. Two previously undescribed Calonectria spp., Ca. pseudoreteaudii sp. nov. and Ca. cerciana sp. nov. were identified together with Ca. pauciramosa. Calonectria pseudoreteaudii resides in the Ca. reteaudii complex and Ca. cerciana is closely related to Ca. morganii. Connected to the discovery of Ca. pseudoreteaudii, species in the Ca. reteaudii complex were re-considered and the group is shown to accommodate two cryptic species. These originate from Australia and are described as Ca. queenslandica sp. nov. and Ca. terrae-reginae sp. nov

    Phylogenetic lineages in the Botryosphaeriaceae

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    Botryosphaeria is a species-rich genus with a cosmopolitan distribution, commonly associated with dieback and cankers of woody plants. As many as 18 anamorph genera have been associated with Botryosphaeria, most of which have been reduced to synonymy under Diplodia (conidia mostly ovoid, pigmented, thick-walled), or Fusicoccum (conidia mostly fusoid, hyaline, thin-walled). However, there are numerous conidial anamorphs having morphological characteristics intermediate between Diplodia and Fusicoccum, and there are several records of species outside the Botryosphaeriaceae that have anamorphs apparently typical of Botryosphaeria s.str. Recent studies have also linked Botryosphaeria to species with pigmented, septate ascospores, and Dothiorella anamorphs, or Fusicoccum anamorphs with Dichomera synanamorphs. The aim of this study was to employ DNA sequence data of the 28S rDNA to resolve apparent lineages within the Botryosphaeriaceae. From these data, 12 clades are recognised. Two of these lineages clustered outside the Botryosphaeriaceae, namely Diplodia-like anamorphs occurring on maize, which are best accommodated in Stenocarpella (Diaporthales), as well as an unresolved clade including species of Camarosporium/Microdiplodia. We recognise 10 lineages within the Botryosphaeriaceae, including an unresolved clade (Diplodia/Lasiodiplodia/ Tiarosporella), Botryosphaeria s.str. (Fusicoccum anamorphs), Macrophomina, Neoscytalidium gen. nov., Dothidotthia (Dothiorella anamorphs), Neofusicoccum gen. nov. (Botryosphaeria-like teleomorphs, Diapjomera-like synanamorphs), Pseudofusicoccum gen. nov., Saccharata (Fusicoccum- and Diplodia-like synanamorphs), "Botryosphaeria" quercuum (Diplodia-like anamorph), and Guignardia (Phyllosticta anamorphs). Separate teleomorph and anamorph names are not provided for newly introduced genera, even where both morphs are known. The taxonomy of some clades and isolates (e.g. B. mamane) remains unresolved due to the absence of ex-type cultures

    Multigene phylogeny and mating tests reveal three cryptic species related to Calonectria pauciramosa

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    Calonectria pauciramosa is a pathogen of numerous plant hosts worldwide. Recent studies have indicated that it included cryptic species, some of which are identified in this study. Isolates from various geographical origins were collected and compared based on morphology, DNA sequence data of the ß-tubulin, histone H3 and translation elongation factor-1 regions and mating compatibility. Comparisons of the DNA sequence data and mating compatibility revealed three new species. These included Ca. colombiana sp. nov. from Colombia, Ca. polizzii sp. nov. from Italy and Ca. zuluensis sp. nov. from South Africa, all of which had distinguishing morphological features. Based on DNA sequence data, Ca. brasiliensis is also elevated to species leve

    <i>Amanita herculis</i> sp. nov. Plaza & Illescas, alignement, ML and BI trees.

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    Amanita herculis Plaza & Illescas, sp. nov. Crous PW, Costa MM, Kandemir H, et al. 2023. Fungal Planet description1551 – 1613. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.08</p

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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