The new species Puccinia telimutans causes Mexican potato rust disease of wild potatoes and shows a unique telial metamorphosis

ABSTRACT

Puccinia telimutans is described as a new species of rust fungi (Basidiomycota, Pucciniales) and causal agent of Mexican potato rust disease of the endemic wild potatoes Solanum demissum and S. verrucosum from Mexico. It is microcyclic and produces telia that show a unique succession of one-celled, catenulate teliospores that germinate upon maturity, followed by resting teliospores that are pedicellate and two-celled. Puccinia telimutans appears to be restricted to Mexico and has formerly been confused with P. pittieriana, which causes common potato rust in South America.

KEYWORDS:

• Mexico
• Puccinia pittieriana
• rust fungi
• Solanaceae
• Solanum
• telial morphology
• Uredinales
• 1 new taxon

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Cathie M. Aime for loaning specimens kept in the Arthur Herbarium (PUR). We appreciate the comments of two anonymous reviewers and the executive editor.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by funds from the ETH Library (project “Digitalisierung von Mikropilzen im Mykologischen Herbarium der Vereinigten Herbarien Z+ZT”).