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Title: FIRST REPORT OF THE RUST FUNGUS COLEOSPORIUM TUSSILAGINIS ON TUSSILAGO FARFARA IN TURKEY

Author
item TUNALI, B - TURKEY
item YILDIRIM, A - TURKEY
item Aime, Mary
item Hernandez, Jose
item BERNER, D - USDA-ARS FREDERICK,MD

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/2005
Publication Date: 10/1/2005
Citation: Tunali, B., Yildirim, A., Aime, M.C., Hernandez, J., Berner, D. 2005. First report of the rust fungus coleosporium tussilaginis on tussilago farfara in turkey. Plant Disease. 89:1131.

Interpretive Summary: Rust fungi cause diseases on weeds suggesting that rusts could be used as biological control agents for weeds when they become invasive. Accurate knowledge about the distribution of rust fungi is important for discovering such useful biological control agents. Colts foot is a weed that is native to Africa and temperate Asia but has spread and become invasive in western North America. In this research a rust fungus that occurs on colts foot is newly detected in Turkey. Although known in Europe and Japan, this rust has never before been reported from this country. Because Turkey is within the center of diversity for this plant species, this rust may be screened to determine its potential as a biological control agent. This research will be used by plant pathologists who are searching for biological agents to control the noxious weed colt’s foot.

Technical Abstract: In August of 2001 and 2002 uredinial pustules were seen on leaves of Tussilago farfara L. in Kizilcahamam, Ankara. Specimens were examined microscopically and compared with published descriptions (1) and herbarium specimens in the U.S. National Fungus Collections, Beltsville, MD. The fungus was subsequently identified as Coleosporium tussilaginis (Pers) Kleb., based on morphological characteristics of the uredinia and uredinospores. The following description is from the Turkish material: uredinia clustered on abaxial leaf surface with corresponding achlorotic areas on the adaxial leaf surface, golden-orange, sub-epidermal, erumpent, approximately 1.0 x 2.0 mm, and surrounded by dense wooly hairs. Urediniospores thick-walled, pale orange, coarsely verrucose, shape variable but mostly broadly ellipsoid or angular, germ pores mostly obscure and scattered, 23.5 - 33.0 x 20.0 - 25.7 µm (average = 27.3 x 23.3µm). Voucher specimens are deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI 860516). Coleosporium tussilaginis has been reported on Tussilago farfara from Europe and Japan (2); to our knowledge this is the first report of C. tussilaginis in Turkey.