Puccinia urticata F. Kern, Mycologia

Ji, Jingxin, Li, Zhuang, Li, Yu & Kakishima, Makoto, 2022, Phylogenetic approach for identification and life cycles of Puccinia (Pucciniaceae) species on Carex (Cyperaceae) from northeastern China, Phytotaxa 542 (3), pp. 221-255 : 244-245

C13: Puccinia urticata F. Kern, Mycologia 9: 214, 1917. ( Fig. 16 )

Description: — Spermogonia and aecia not found. Uredinia rarely found. Urediniospores 20.5–25.0 × 17.5–21.5 µm (av. 23.0 × 19.5 µm); walls, 1.4–2.2 µm (av. 1.7 µm). Telia amphigenous, compact, black, erumpent. Teliospores broadly clavate, ellipsoid, mostly conical or rounded at apices, constricted at the septa, attenuate at the bases, 41.0– 55.5 × 15.0–20.0 µm (49.5 × 17.5 µm); walls brown, 0.6–1.3 µm (av. 0.9 µm) thick at sides, 6.0–10.7 µm (av. 8.3 µm) at apices; pedicels persistent, hyaline, 20.5–49.5 µm (av. 30.5 µm) long.

Specimens examined from northeastern CHINA: — Jilin Province, South of Changbai Mountain , uredinia and telia on Carex sp. , 2 September 2018, HMJAU 8808 , 8809 .

Hosts and distribution in northeastern CHINA ( Fig. 1 ): —Uredinia and telia on Carex sp. (D).

Note: —The two cited specimens on Carex are phylogenetically clustered together with P. urticata , although no spermogonial and aecial specimen on Urtica has been collected. The telial stage is morphologically similar to the descriptions of this species by Kern (1917) and Termorshuizen & Swertz (2011), although the teliospores are slightly smaller. Because only a few specimens have been collected the distribution of this species is suspected to be limited to the study area. Puccinia urticata has been treated as P. caricis or P. caricina ( Arthur 1934, Hylander et al. 1953, Wilson & Henderson 1966, Hiratsuka et al. 1992, Zhuang et al. 1998, Azbukina 2005, 2015). However, species delimitation of these species, including morphology and host range, are variable among taxonomists. These species are suspected to be a species complex, requiring further study, but here treated as a distinct species, P. urticata .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Collection areas in northeastern China. A. Changchun area in Jilin Province. B. Jilin area in Jilin Province. C. Mountanious area in southern Heilongjiang Province. D. Area around Changbai Mountains in Jilin Province. E. Baicheng area in western Jilin Province. F. Yanbian area in eastern Jilin Province. G. Tonghua area in southeastern Jilin Province.

FIGURE 16. Puccinia urticata on Carex sp. A. Telia on the leaf surface. B. Teliospores. C. Vertical section of a telium. Scale bars: B, C = 20 μm.