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The identity and diversity of Kordyana species on three native species of Commelinaceae in Australia were studied following surveys in 2020–2022 for Kordyana brasiliensis, which had been deliberately released as a biocontrol agent for the environmental weed Tradescantia fluminensis. Three new species of Kordyana are described from Australia based on DNA sequence analysis of the ITS and LSU rDNA regions, morphology, host associations, and geographic distributions. Two new species, Kordyana spectabilis on Aneilema acuminatum and Kordyana luteoalba on Pollia crispata, occur in shaded rainforest habitats in eastern Australia. The third new species, Kordyana occidentalis on Commelina ensifolia, occurs in forests and woodlands of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Morphological descriptions are provided for these three new species of Kordyana as well as for the conidial stage of K. brasiliensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exobasidium pentasporium was first found on Rhododendron kaempferi in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan and described only with a brief mentions and illustration of a specimen in 1896. This fungus causes a witches' broom disease of Rhododendron species. To stabilize the concept of this species, the specimen in the protologue was located, carefully examined, and illustrated. In addition, the name was epitypified based on a newly collected topotype specimen. A phylogenetic tree using ITS and LSU sequences showed that our isolates of E. pentasporium grouped with other Exobasidium species on Rhododendron forming a monophyletic clade with strong statistical support and were unrelated to E. nobeyamense, another causal agent of witches' broom disease on Rhododendron species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The obscure species Exobasidium sawadae and the enigmatic hyphomycetous genus Elaeodema transform fruits of Cinnamomum species to galls. Fresh collections from Guangxi in China and Taiwan island were studied with microscopy and analysis of partial large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Study of young stages and of isotype material of El. cinnamomi revealed the presence of basidia. Haustoria are demonstrated in both species for the first time. Sterile elements were found between basidia in galls of El. cinnamomi , whereas sterile elements were absent in Ex. sawadae . Based on the morphology of spore germination and the anamorphic yeast stage in culture, and a phylogenetic species concept, these two species were combined into Clinoconidium . Elaeodema is considered a synonym of Clinoconidium . The data indicate high specificity of Clinoconidium species to their lauraceous hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subphylum Ustilaginomycotina comprises about 1500 species of basidiomycetous plant parasites. They are usually dimorphic, producing a saprobic haploid yeast phase and a parasitic dikaryotic hyphal phase. With only a few exceptions they occur on angiosperms and are found mainly on members of the Poaceae and Cyperaceae. Molecular methods recently have shown that anamorphic species such as members of Malassezia or Tilletiopsis should be included in this group. Here we present the most recent consensus as to the phylogeny of this group and discuss its relevant characteristics. Our morphological, ultrastructural and molecular phylogenetic data point to the existence of three lines of Ustilaginomycotina: Entorrhizomycetes, Ustilaginomycetes and Exobasidiomycetes. Entorrhizomycetes is represented by Entorrhizales, a small group of unusual teliosporic root parasites on Juncaceae and Cyperaceae. Ustilaginomycetes, to which the majority of Ustilaginomycotina belong, is a teliosporic and gastroid group characterized by the presence of enlarged interaction zones. Ustilaginomycetes is dichotomous, consisting of predominantly holobasidiate Urocystales and predominantly phragmobasidiate Ustilaginales. Exobasidiomycetes forms local interaction zones. This group is predominantly holobasidiate and consists of teliosporic Doassansiales, Entylomatales, Georgefischeriales and Tilletiales, nonteliosporic Ceraceosorales, Exobasidiales and Microstromatales, as well as the anamorphic Malasseziales. Entorrhizomycetes, Exobasidiomycetes and Ceraceosorales are proposed as new taxa, and the description of Ustilaginomycetes is emended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the ecology, distribution and effects on hosts exhibited by 14 species of the basidial fungi, Exobasidiales in Scotland. Articomyces warmingii; E. angustisporum; E. arescens; E. expansum; E. japonicum; E. juelianum; E. karstenii; E. myrtilli; E. oxycocci; E. rostrupii; E. sydowianum; E. vacinii; Microstroma album.

In the spring of 2001, diseased trees of Juglans regia in Hatay, in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, showed typical symptoms of downy leaf spot, especially following moist and cool conditions. A survey was conducted in the affected regions, which included 12 orchards in Antakya and five orchards in Altinozu districts. Initially, disease symptoms were characterized by a whitish efflorescence containing fungal structures and spores on the lower surface of the affected leaf, often concentrated along the veins, and a yellowish discoloration on the corresponding upper surface of the leaf. In the later stages of disease development, as the leaf spots enlarged, diseased tissues became necrotic. Examination of leaf infections using scanning electron microscopy revealed that whitish polygonal efflorescences were basidial structures forming oval basidiospores (6.2-7.8×2.9-3.4 μm). The fungus was identified as Microstroma juglandis, a member of the Exobasidiales, based on morphological and cultural characteristics of the basidium and basidial structure.