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New species of Mycosphaerella from Myrtaceae in plantations and native forests in eastern Australia

     Forest Resources Research, NSW Department of Primary Industries, PO Box 100, Beecroft, New South Wales 2119, Australia

Treena I. Burgess

     School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia

Vyrna Beilharz

     Primary Industries Research Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, Knoxfield, Victoria 3180, Australia

Michael J. Wingfield

     Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

The majority of Mycosphaerella species from eucalypts (Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora) in Australia have been recorded only from trees growing in plantations. This illustrates a bias in research in the past two decades toward commercial enterprise, and it emphasises a lack of understanding of the occurrence of these important fungi under natural conditions. Surveys of foliar fungi in native forests in eastern Australia, as well as adjacent plantations, thus have been initiated in recent years. In this study we describe four new species of Mycosphaerella from Eucalyptus spp. as well as other Myrtaceae. Mycosphaerella tumulosa sp. nov. (anamorph: Pseudocercospora sp.) was found on more than seven species of Eucalyptus and Corymbia in native forests and plantations in northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland and appears to be relatively common, although not damaging to these trees. Mycosphaerella multiseptata sp. nov. was recorded from several locations on species of Angophora in native forests and amenity plantings. Mycosphaerella pseudovespa sp. nov. was found in one location in native forest on E. biturbinata. The first species of Mycosphaerella to be described from Syncarpia, M. syncarpiae sp. nov., was found in native forests in numerous locations from Sydney through to northeastern New South Wales and appears to be relatively common.

Key words: Angophora, Corymbia, Eucalyptus, ITS, Mycosphaerella, Pseudocercospora, Syncarpia, taxonomy