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Melanoxa, a new genus in the Urocystidales (Ustilaginomycotina)

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Abstract

A smut fungus, Melanotaenium oxalidis, forming dark-coloured spores in the leaves of Oxalis oregana (Oxalidaceae) was collected a few times in the USA. A similar smut fungus on Oxalis acetosella was recently collected in Slovenia. Teliospores, hyphal septations, cellular interactions and ITS and LSU rDNA sequences of these two smuts on Oxalis were examined and the results obtained were compared with each other and with findings in other members of the Ustilaginomycotina. The data show that the specimen from Slovenia is very close to Melanotaenium oxalidis, but represents a new species, and that the two Melanotaenium species occurring on Oxalis are members of the Urocystidaceae. Among the Urocystidaceae, they are morphologically very similar to Flamingomyces, Melanustilospora and Vankya species, but differ from them, and from all other Urocystidaceae, by their multilamellate teliospore walls. In addition, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated good separation of the Melanotaenium species from Flamingomyces, Melanustilospora and Vankya. Accordingly, a new genus, Melanoxa, and a new species, M. oxalidiellae, are described, and a new combination, Melanoxa oxalidis, is proposed for Melanotaenium oxalidis.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Tóth for the Latin descriptions, C. Vánky and M. Weiß for critically reading the manuscript, M. Wagner-Eha and F. Albrecht for technical assistance, E. Bronner for preparing the line drawing, D. Begerow, U. Bloss and M. Kemler for their surpassing companionship on the field trips to Slovenia, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. The study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organismische Botanik, Institut für Evolution und Ökologie, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Matthias Lutz & Robert Bauer

  2. Herbarium Ustilaginales Vánky (HUV), Gabriel-Biel-Str. 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Kálmán Vánky

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  1. Matthias Lutz
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  2. Kálmán Vánky
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  3. Robert Bauer
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Correspondence to Matthias Lutz.

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Lutz, M., Vánky, K. & Bauer, R. Melanoxa, a new genus in the Urocystidales (Ustilaginomycotina). Mycol Progress 11, 149–158 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-010-0737-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-010-0737-7

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