Taxonomy of Some Leptosphaerulina Spp. On Legumes in Eastern Australia

Abstract

Leptosphaerulina argentinensis was identified from Stylosanthes guianensis, L. arachidicola from Arachis hypogea and L. trifolii from Medicago sativa, M. polymorpha var. vulgaris and Trifolium repens in eastern Australia. Characters of the ascospores which were expressed consistently in pure culture and allowed species separation were shape, size and the number of transverse septa. Ascospores of L. argentinensis are predominantly 5-septate while those of L. trifolii and L. arachidicola are predominantly 3-4-septate. While L. argentinensis and L. trifolii always produce elliptical ascospores, those of L. arachidicola are dimorphic, being both cylindrical and elliptical. Two other species, L. Australis and L. briosiana:, are considered to be synonyms of L. trifolii.

L. argentinensis was pathogenic to S. gulanensis only whereas L. trifolii was pathogenic to M. sativa, M. polymorpha and T. repens.