Diversity and distribution of cercosporoid fungi in Himachal Pradesh:an annotated checklist

the basis of available publications.A total of 103 species belonging to 15 genera of cercosporoid fungi have been reported from Himachal Pradesh on 118 plant species belonging to 46 families.The species richness of cercosporoid fungi in the region was as follows;Cercospora(50),Pseudocercospora(23),Ramularia and Passalora(7 each),Stigmina&Mycosphaerella(3 each),Sirosporium(2),Cercosporella,Distomycovellosiella and Mycovellosiella,Neocercosporidium,Neopseudocercosporella,Nothopassalora,Rosisphaerella&Teratosphaeria(1 each).The highest numbers of cercosporoid fungi were recorded on plant hosts of the family Solanaceae(12 species)followed by Fabaceae(10 species),Asteraceae and Rosaceae(8 species each),Amaranthaceae(5 species),Malvaceae and Smilaceae(4 species each),Acanthaceae,Poaceae,Polygonaceae and Ranunculaceae(3 species each),while the rest of families were found associated with 1-2 cercosporoid speices.

First record of Capnodium berberidis from India

Capnodium berberidis,a sooty mould fungus,previously reported only from Pakistan in 1978,was recently observed on Berberis lycium in Jot Pass,district Chamba of Himachal Pradesh,India.Berberis lycium is a well-known small to medium sized spiny,woody,deciduous or evergreen medicinal and ornamental plant distributed throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world.Disease symptoms appeared as thin,black to dark brown,easily removed superficial layer of hyphae on various parts of host plant including leaves,stem,twigs and fruits.The detailed studies on its morphology and taxonomy revealed it a sooty mould fungus Capnodium berberidis.As per literature consulted,this is the first report of Capnodium berberidis from India and probably second from world.

A new record to rust fungi of North Western Himalayas(Himachal Pradesh),India

A rust fungus occurring on bamboo leaves from Bilaspur,Himachal Pradesh,North India is described and illustrated.A critical morphological and microscopic examination revealed it to be Kweilingia divina.It is the synonym of Dasturella divina,the type species for the fungal genus Dasturella,named in 1943 from infected leaf samples of bamboo(Bambusa sp.).After conducting a literature survey it was found that this fungus is the first to be reported from North Western Himalayas.A detailed taxonomic description of this fungus along with its distribution is provided.

Two new additions to mycoflora(Hyphomycetes)of India

Hyphomycetes are abundant and highly diverse in tropical areas such as India due to its climate and geographical landscape.However,several regions of the country remained unexplored or underexplored and many species remained undiscovered in the country.During mycological forays from the forests of Himachal Pradesh,two hyphomycetous fungi were collected.After detailed analysis of mycological characters like oval to oblong-ellipsoidal,muriform conidia with transverse,longitudinal,and oblique septa rounded or irregular at the ends and often with a protruding hilum,singly on short,unbranched conidiophores or sessile,in sporodochial conidiomata,it was found that these taxa belongs to the genus Berkleasmium.The further evaluation of morphological and microscopic characters revealed the identity of these fungi as B.pandani and B.typhae.Review of literature reveals that both are new records for India.Synoptic table of all the accepted species(both asexual morph and sexual morph)along with checklist of Berkleasmium from India is also provided.