First Report of the Association of Myriogenospora atramentosa with the Plant Genus Hemarthria

Abstract

Myriogenospora atramentosa is an epibiont fungus that produces black, linear stromata on the leaves of warm-season grasses including Paspalum and Andropogon. Because M. atramentosa is in the family Clavicipitaceae containing several ergot alkaloid-producing fungi, its mycotoxin production and the potential risk to cattle health are of concern. Limpograss (Hemarthria altissima) is a warm-season perennial grass that plays a key role in the cattle industry of the southeastern United States. Limpograss plants with tangletop signs and symptoms were collected in October 2018 from Osceola County, Florida, U.S.A. M. atramentosa was confirmed. M. atramentosa is reported to be associated with the plant genus Hemarthria for the first time, through morphological and molecular investigations. Because of the increasing human usage, animal consumption, and global distribution of H. altissima, understanding its codistribution with M. atramentosa and the potential mycotoxin content is critical to protect plants and animals.