CSIRO PUBLISHING - Australasian Plant Pathology

The mycobiota of the weed Mitracarpus hirtus in Minas Gerais (Brazil), with particular reference to fungal pathogens for biological control

O. L. Pereira ^A and R. W. Barreto ^A ^B

^A Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36571-000, Viçosa, M.G., Brasil.
^B Corresponding author. Email: rbarreto@ufv.br

Abstract

A survey of the fungi associated with the weed Mitracarpus hirtus was conducted in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Seven fungi were collected and are here described and illustrated: Puccinia mitracarpii sp. nov., Cercospora mitracarpi-hirti sp. nov., Pseudocercospora borreriae, Passalora pseudocapnodioides sp. nov., Passalora mitracarpi-hirti sp. nov., Curvularia borreriae and Cladosporium cladosporioides. M. hirtus is a newly recorded host for C. borreriae. These fungi are appraised as potential classical biocontrol agents for M. hirtus.

Keywords: classical biological control, fungal survey, new species, plant disease, taxonomy.

Australasian Plant Pathology 34(1) 41–50 doi:10.1071/AP04083
Submitted: 9 February 2004 Accepted: 23 July 2004 Published: 22 March 2005