title: New species of Gondwanamyces from dying Euphorbia trees in South Africa.
abstract: Gondwanamyces and its Custingophora anamorphs were first described from Protea infructescences in South Africa. Subsequently these unusual fungi were also found on Cecropia in Central America. During an investigation into the decline and death of native Euphorbia trees in South Africa, several fungal isolates resembling the anamorph state of Gondwanamyces were obtained from diseased tissues. In this study these isolates are identified based on morphology and comparisons of DNA sequences. Two previously unknown Gondwanamyces species were identified, both were associated with damage caused by beetles (Cossonus sp.). Inoculation studies showed that the new species of Gondwanamyces are pathogenic on Euphorbia ingens and may contribute to the decline of these trees.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Johannes Alwyn
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van der Linde
authors.forename: Diana L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Six
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wingfield
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roux
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001483:Base Sequence; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D028481:Euphorbia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013019:South Africa; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer