Identification and characterization of two new Gymnosporangium species causing rust on Juniperus rigida in China

ABSTRACT

A serious Juniperus rigida rust disease was found in Gansu Province, China. The disease incidence is approximately 80–90%. We also found rust disease on both Cotoneaster multiflorus and Sorbus in the same location. Two novel Gymnosporangium species were identified from the infected plants. Based on morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses, we describe the two new taxa as G. gansuense and G. granulatosporum. We also determined their life cycles. Moreover, this study documented a novel aeciospore surface structure with two different surface types on one aeciospore. We describe it here as “granular.”

KEYWORDS:

• Junipers
• life cycle
• Pucciniales
• rust disease
• 2 new taxa

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to thank the Mycological Herbarium, Museum of Beijing Forestry University (BJFC), Beijing, China, and Herbarium Mycologicum Academiae Sinicae (HMAS), Beijing, China, for providing herbarium specimens.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 31870628; no. 31470646).