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The rust fungi (Uredinales) on ferns in South Africa

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Abstract

The rust fungi (Uredinales, basidiomycota) occuring on ferns (Pteridophyta) in South Africa are described, illustrated and keyed out. All species belong to the pucciniastraceous genera Milesina (M. blechni), Uredinopsis (U. pteridis) or to the related uredinial anamorph genus Milesia (M. nervisequa, M. cf. magellanica, M. silvae-knysnae). Milesia silvae-knysnae on Polystichum pungens is new to science; it probably belongs to the teleomorph genus Milesina. Milesina blechni is reported from South Africa for the first time on the new hosts Blechnum punctulatum and Rumohra adiantoides; it has hitherto been known only from the Northern Hemisphere on Blechnum spicant. Rust specimens collected on Asplenium aethiopicum and A. rutifolium were tentatively assigned to Milesia magellanica which has been known so far only from southern Chile. Hyalopsora neocheilanthis, Milesina neoexigua and M. neovogesiaca are proposed as new names for Hyalopsora cheilanthis, Milesia exigua and M. vogesiaca. It is discussed that the pucciniastraceous fern rusts could have reached South Africa either by migration (M. blechni) or by long-distance air dispersal. In the absence of their gametophyte hosts, species of Abies (Pinaceae), the rusts have to propagate in South Africa by urediniospores infecting fern to fern.

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Acknowledgements

I thank the Northern Cape Department of Nature and Environmental Conservation and the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board in South Africa for issuing collecting and export permits, Alan R. Wood (ARC-PPRI, Stellenbosch) for rust-infected fern specimens from South Africa and helpful comments on this paper, and the Arthur Herbarium (PUR) for the loan of the type of Milesia magellanica. Ottmar Holdenrieder (ETH Zurich) is thanked for the permission to use microscopy facilities in his lab. I am grateful to the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for funding the field stays in Africa.

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  1. Herbarium turicense, Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ), ETH Zurich, CHN, Universitätstr. 16, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Reinhard Berndt

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  1. Reinhard Berndt
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Correspondence to Reinhard Berndt.

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Taxonomical novelties

Milesia silvae-knysnae R. Berndt

Milesina neoexigua R. Berndt

Milesina neovogesiaca R. Berndt

Hyalopsora neocheilanthis R. Berndt

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Berndt, R. The rust fungi (Uredinales) on ferns in South Africa. Mycol Progress 7, 7–19 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-007-0548-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11557-007-0548-7

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