The intriguing and convoluted life of a heteroecious rust fungus in New Zealand

Abstract

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of New Zealand rust fungi suggested that four taxa, Aecidium otagense on Clematis spp., Puccinia tiritea on Muehlenbeckia spp., Puccinia rhei‐undulati sensu auct. NZ, non (Dietel) Hirats. f. on Rheum ×rhabarbarum, and an unidentified Puccinia species on Rumex sagittatus, are a single species. Morphological studies and multilocus molecular data, together with inoculation studies, confirmed this finding. This species is only the third heteroecious rust fungus known to be native to New Zealand.

Fungi species description rates confirm high global diversity and suggest half remain unnamed

“…Parasitic species ultimately gain a greater survival advantage when capable of associating with multiple host species as increasingly seems to be the case (Costello 2016). Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses of rust fungi have revealed four previously recognised taxa as being a single species able to survive on multiple unrelated plant species (Padamsee & McKenzie 2017). Additionally, rusts are known to severely impact crops of agricultural value (Staples 2000).…”