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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322088
Title: New combinations of plant-associated fungi resulting from the change to one name for fungi

Author
item ROSSMAN, AMY - Retired ARS Employee
item ALLEN, WILLIAM - North Carolina State University
item Castlebury, Lisa

Submitted to: IMA Fungus
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/7/2016
Publication Date: 1/11/2016
Citation: Rossman, A.Y., Allen, W.C., Castlebury, L.A. 2016. New combinations of plant-associated fungi resulting from the change to one name for fungi. IMA Fungus. 7(1):1-7.

Interpretive Summary: Fungi occur on many different plant hosts with some species causing disease and others co-existing with their host plants without causing disease. In the past, the asexual and sexual life stages of the same fungus were given different genus names when they could not be definitively associated. Now that DNA sequence data can link the asexual and sexual stages of fungi, the rules for naming fungi have been changed to allow only one genus name per fungus. This has led to much confusion as to correct name for many fungi including important plant pathogens. In this work, names for a number of plant-associated fungi, including the pathogenic genera Alternaria, Colletotrichum, and Elsinoë, among others, were clarified. This research will allow extension agents, plant breeders, plant pathologists, and plant quarantine officials to determine the correct names of plant pathogenic fungi and accurately communicate about control and management of plant diseases.

Technical Abstract: In advancing to one scientific name for fungi, a number of name changes are required especially for plant-associated fungi. These include names that are not in the correct genus. For example the generic name Elsinoë is used for fungi causing scab diseases but a number of these species were described in the asexual genus Sphaceloma and must be placed in Elsinoë. Other names must be changed because the oldest epithet is not in the correct genus. These new combinations are made here. Finally a number of species are determined to be unrelated to the type species of the genus in which they are currently placed and are recombined in a more appropriate genus. If a well-known scientific name causes an economically important disease, it is placed on a list of names to be protected and will remain unchanged. The following taxonomic novelties are introduced: Acanthohelicospora aureum comb. nov., A. scopulum comb. nov., Alternaria scophulariae comb. nov., Bifusella ahmadii comb. nov., Botryobasidium capitatum comb. nov., B. rubiginosum comb. nov., Colletotrichum magna comb. nov., Crandallia acuminata comb. nov., C. antarctica comb. nov., Dermea fallax comb. nov., Elsinoë arachadis comb. nov., E. freyliniae comb. nov., E. necator comb. nov., E. perseae comb. nov., E. poinsettiae comb. nov., E. punicae comb. nov., Entyloma gibba comb. nov., Harknessia farinosa comb. nov., Passalora alocasiae comb. nov., Pleurotus macrocarpus comb. nov., Protoventuria veronicae comb. nov., Pseudocercosporella ranunculi comb. nov., Pseudomassaria portoricensis comb. nov., Psiloglonium stygium comb. nov., Ramularia pseudomaculiformis comb. nov., Ramularia tussilaginis comb. nov., Sarcinella pulchra comb. nov., Seimatosporium tostum comb. nov., and Teratosphaeria epicoccoides comb. nov.