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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119731
Title: NEOCLAVICEPS MONOSTIPA: FEATURES OF AN ENIGMATIC CLAVICIPITALEAN FUNGUS AND THE PHYLETIC STATUS OF THE ANAMORPHIC GENUS EPHELIS

Author
item SULLIVAN, RAYMOND - RUTGERS U PLANT PATHOLOGY
item BERGEN, MARSHALL - RUTGERS U PLANT PATHOLOGY
item PATEL, RACHNA - RUTGERS U PLANT PATHOLOGY
item BILLS, GERALD - MERCK RESEARCH LABS NJ
item Alderman, Stephen
item SPATAFORA, JOSEPH - OSU BOTANY & PLANT PATHOL
item WHITE, JAMES - RUTGERS U PLANT PATHOLOGY

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A new species and genus of a fungus infecting the flowers of a tropical grass in Costa Rica was described. Genetic analysis indicates that it is evolutionarily intermediate between two similar groups of flower infecting fungi, Claviceps and Balansia.

Technical Abstract: A new species and genus of the graminicolous Clavicipitaceae are described. Neoclaviceps monostipa infects individual florets in the same way as species of genus Claviceps but does not produce sclerotia. In culture it shows dimorphism in production of a yeast-like microconidiation (Ephelis) phase and a mycelial phase. Phylogenetic analysis of the large subunit rDNA suggests that Neoclaviceps along with genus Myriogenospora is evolutionarily intermediate between Claviceps and Balansia. The anamorphic genus Ephelis is suggested to be paraphyletic.