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ERMA New Zealand, PO Box 131, Wellington, New Zealand
T.D. Ramsfield 1
Ensis,,2 Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, 49 Sala St, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua, New Zealand
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ABSTRACT |
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Elsinoe takoropuku sp. nov. is described from Pittosporum tenuifolium Sol. ex Gaertn. (Pittosporaceae). This species causes swelling to develop on the twigs of the host species. The species initially was thought to be a recent introduction to New Zealand but, based on the host association and the geographic range of the fungus in New Zealand, it is considered to be a newly described native species.
Key words: Ascomycota, Elsinoe, New Zealand, Pittosporum tenuifolium
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INTRODUCTION |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTAXONOMYDISCUSSIONLITERATURE CITED |
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). Only one native species has been recognized: E. dracophylli P.R. Johnst. & R.E. Beever was described from leaf spots on Dracophyllum (Johnston and Beever 1994). This is the first collection of an Elsinoe sp. on Pittosporum in New Zealand, and to our knowledge this is the first record from the Pittosporaceae. The only other record on an indigenous New Zealand host is an undescribed single collection of Elsinoe sp. from Alectryon excelsus Gaertn. held in the PDD Herbarium at Landcare Research (NZFUNGI 2005). |
TAXONOMY |
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–2
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Habitat in caulibus Pittosporii tenuifolii.
Etymology. – From Maori, ta = stem, koropuku = swelling, refers to the typical host symptom.
Ascomata stromatic, erumpent, closely packed, tuberculate, 250–300 µm diam, 110–150 µm high, pluriloculate, emergent from a dark brown stroma seated in swellings that are 6–40 mm long, 2–4 mm diam on woody twigs 1–3 mm diam; often girdling the twig.
The stroma forms as a dark brown layer in the outer periderm, approximately two cells from the surface. It proliferates centrifugally as radially aligned cells with proliferation of the stroma cells centred so that peaks are formed in cross section, and these peaks erupt through the cover plant tissue. The initial stroma layer is a darker brown with later tissue tending to be paler. The stromatic tissue continues to proliferate through the point of rupture in the periderm to form a tubercle, black ascoma, 250–300 µm diam, and 110–150 µm high. The stroma also proliferates centripetally, penetrating between the rows of periderm cells as far as the primary cortex. There also may be a proliferation of the periderm cells beneath the stroma, which contributes to the swollen appearance of the stem. In section asci are arranged in multilayered, uniascal locules.
Asci 33–39 x 30–33 µm diam, subglobose, bitunicate, thickened apex, dehiscence is fissitunicate with the inner layer elongating beyond the surface of the ascoma (observed in aqueous mount), 8-spored. Ascospores 19.5–22.5 x 8–10.5 µm, oblong-elliptic with obtuse ends, 3 transverse septa, and 1 non-continuous longitudinal septum (present in 1–3 cells), strongly constricted at the central septum and less so at the others, hyaline to slightly yellowish, smooth, gelatinous sheath 1–2 µm thick.
Anamorph not observed.
HOLOTYPUS: NEW ZEALAND: Wellington, Ngaio, Trelissick Park, Ngaio Gorge Track, 41°15.523'S and 174°46.745'E. On twig of Pittosporum tenuifolium (Pittosporaceae), 24-IX-2002, BJ Rogan, NZFRI-M 4796.
Additional specimens examined. – NEW ZEALAND, Wellington, Ngaio, Trelissick Park, Ngaio Gorge Track, 41°15.544'S and 174°46.741'E, 10-XII-2002, BH Doherty, NZFRI-M 4835. NEW ZEALAND, Wellington, Wadestown, Philip Myers Park, 41°15.861'S and 174°46.587'E. On twig of Pittosporum tenuifolium, 10-XII-2002, BH Doherty, NZFRI-M 4836. NEW ZEALAND, Wellington, Wilton, Otari Plant Museum, 41°17.162'S and 174°43.433'E. On twig of Pittosporum tenuifolium, 13-XII-2002, BH Doherty, NZFRI-M 4837. NEW ZEALAND, Mid-Canterbury, Lyttleton, Victoria Park, Harry Ell Walkway, 43°35.524'S and 172°38.537'E. On twig of Pittosporum tenuifolium, 2-XI-2004, BH Doherty, NZFRI-M 5225. NEW ZEALAND, Rangitikei, Gwavas Forest, Ellis Road, 39°43.319'S and 176°17.628'E. On twig of Pittosporum tenuifolium, 11-XI-2004, BJ Rogan, NZFRI-M 5218.
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DISCUSSION |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTAXONOMYDISCUSSIONLITERATURE CITED |
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), and based on the keys of von Arx and Müller (1975) and Rogerson (1970) and the descriptions of the valid genera in the family this fungus was placed within the genus Elsinoe. The stroma produced on infected twigs appears similar in form to those produced on Serruria florida by E. leucospermi L. Swart & Crous as illustrated by Swart et al (2001); however the asci of E. takoropuku are larger than the asci of E. leucospermi and S. florida is in the Proteaceae. In many ways the ascoma resembles that of Myriangium but with a much more developed basal stroma that penetrates the host tissue, and with no obvious association with scale insects (von Arx and Müller 1975, Barr 1987). However it differs from Myriangium in having an Elsinoe ascus structure (Eriksson 1981).
This fungus was discovered during a routine survey of biosecurity risk sites near the port of Wellington, New Zealand (Ridley 2002). It initially was treated as a potential new incursion to New Zealand, but given that Elsinoe species have not been described from any other species of Pittosporum, from no other host species within the collection sites including P. eugenioides A.Cunn. and P. crassifolium Banks & Sol. ex A.Cunn. and the still limited knowledge of the ascomycete flora of New Zealand it was thought that this fungus represents a new, native species. This assumption was supported further with collections from farther afield in the Rangitikei and Mid-Canterbury regions.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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FOOTNOTES |
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2 Ensis is a joint venture between CSIRO and SCION (New Zealand Forest esearch). 
1 Corresponding author. E-mail: Tod.Ramsfield{at}ensisjv.com
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LITERATURE CITED |
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Eriksson O. 1981. The families of bitunicate ascomycetes. Opera Botanica 60:1–220.
Johnston PR, Beever RE. 1994. Elsinoe dracophylli sp. nov. New Zealand Journal of Botany 32:519–520.
Kirk PM, Cannon PF, David JC, Stalpers JA.2001. Ainsworth and Bisby’s dictionary of the fungi. 9th ed. Egham: CABI Bioscience.
NZFUNGI.2005. Landcare Research. Available http://nzfungi.landcareresearch.co.nz/ (Accessed 2 Sep 2005).
Pennycook SA.1989. Plant diseases recorded in New Zealand. Auckland, Plant Diseases Division, DSIR.
Ridley GS. 2002. New records. Forest Research, Forest Health News 124:2.
Rogerson CT. 1970. The hypocrealean fungi (Ascomycetes, Hypocreales). Mycologia 62:621–864.[CrossRef][Medline]
Swart L, Crous PW, Kang JC, Mchau GRA, Pascoe I, Palm ME. 2001. Differentiation of species of Elsinoe associated with scab disease of Proteaceae based on morphology, symptomology, and ITS sequence phylogeny. Mycologia 93:366–379.[CrossRef]
von Arx JA, Müller E. 1975. A re-evaluation of the bitunicate ascomycetes with keys to families and genera. Stud in Mycol 9:1–159.
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