title: Three new Graphium species from baobab trees in South Africa and Madagascar.
abstract: Baobabs (Adansonia spp.) are iconic trees, known for their immense size, strange forms, sources of food and as the subjects of myths and mysteries. It is thus surprising that little is known regarding the fungi that infect these trees. During a survey to determine which wound infecting fungi occur on baobabs, synnematous structures were observed and Graphium-like isolates were obtained. Culture characteristics and micro-morphology, together with DNA sequence comparisons for the SSU rRNA, rRNA-ITS and TEF-1α gene regions were used to characterise these fungi. These data revealed three novel Graphium spp. and these are described as G. adansoniae, G. madagascariense and G. fabiforme.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa;
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Cruywagen
authors.forename: Z W
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: de Beer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wingfield