Notes — Passalora lobeliae-fistulosis was found associated
with distinct leaf spotting of Lobelia fistulosa (Campanulaceae).
There is only one species of Passalora described on
a member of the genus Lobelia, namely P. lobeliae-cardinalis
(http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/index.cfm). The presence
of long synnemata, conidial chains and also conidial size
allows for an easy distinction of P. lobeliae-fistulosis from P. lobeliae-
cardinalis and the other species of Passalora described
hitherto on members of the Campanulaceae, namely: P. codonopsis,
P. effusa, P. ferruginea, P. isotomae and P. lobeliaecardinalis.
These species were originally treated as members
of Cercospora or Mycovellosiella but have been transferred
to Passalora (Braun 1995, Braun & Crous 2003). The closest
species of Passalora as compared by LSU sequences available
in public databases is P. brachycarpa. Nevertheless, this
is a pathogen of Solanum spp. (Solanaceae) which is both
phylogenetically and morphologically distinct from P. lobeliaefistulosis.
No sexual morph was observed on the leaves,
nor were we able to induce any in culture. BLASTn results
of the LSU sequence of P. lobeliae-fistulosis (VIC 31840,
VIC 31841) had an E-value of 0.0 with the LSU sequence of
P. brachycarpa (GenBank GU214664, 100 % query coverage).
Fungal Planet 152 – 20 December 2012
Passalora lobeliae-fistulosis J.L. Alves & R.W. Barreto, sp. nov.
Janaina