Taxonomy of Puccinia species causing rust diseases on sugarcane

Abstract

A taxonomic revision of Puccinia species causing rust diseases on sugarcane was conducted to clarify their morphological characteristics. Specimens including previously reported species, Puccinia melanocephala, P. kuehnii and Puccinia sp. sensu Muta, 1987, were collected in Japan and the Philippines and borrowed from various herbaria worldwide. Morphological characteristics of these specimens were examined under light and scanning electron microscopes. Comparative morphological studies of the specimens showed that rust fungi infecting sugarcane could be classified into two species, Puccinia melanocephala and P. kuehnii. Puccinia sp. sensu Muta was morphologically identical with P. kuehnii. Results of this study corroborate previous phylogenetic analysis results of D1/D2 regions of LSU rDNA gene.