Asian filbert rust - Pucciniastrum coryli

This species is the only rust fungus that occurs on the genus Corylus that includes the European filbert or hazelnut, C. avellana. At present the distribution of Pucciniastrum coryli is restricted to Japan with a few reports from China and Russia (Siberia). This rust fungus infects nursery stock of Asian species of Corylus and three species of Asian Abies that are cultivated as ornamental plants. Numerous species of Pucciniastrum and other rust fungi occur on Abies.

Pucciniastrum coryli Kom. 1899

Spermogonia on current year needles, amphigenous (on both sides of needles), subcuticular, hemispherical or conical, with flat hymenia, 85-150 µm diam, 55-75 µm high, yellow-orange changing to brown; spermatia oblong-ellipsoid to ellipsoid, 3.8-5 × 1.5-2 µm, hyaline.

Aecia on current year needles, hypophyllous (on lower surface of leaves), cylindrical, 0.2-0.3 mm across, 0.5-1.5 mm long, orange; peridial cells hyaline, firm, rupturing at the apex; peridial cells oblong-ellipsoid to ellipsoid, 30-93 × 12-23 µm, overlapping, inner walls 2-2.5 µm thick, verrucose with striae, outer wall 1.5-2 µm thick, finely verrucose; aeciospores ellipsoid, obovate or sublobose, 20-27 × 13-20 µm, densely verrucose, occasionally with a reticulum-like area resulting from fused verrucae, 0.5-1.5 µm high, contents yellow.

Uredinia hypophyllous, subepidermal, scattered, or rarely grouped, often thickly, scattered over the whole surface of the leaf, round, minute, 0.1-0.2 mm diam, pale yellow in color, at last somewhat pulverulent; peridia hemispherical, delicate, rupturing at apex; upper peridial cells small, isodiametrically to irregularly polygonal, 8-22 µm wide, lateral ones radially elongate, walls of peridial cells thin, 1-2 µm thick, smooth, nearly colorless; ostiolar cells globose or ellipsoid, walls rather thick, 2-4 µm, smooth, colorless; urediniospores obovate, ellipsoid or oblong, 18-27 × 10-16 µm, walls thin, 1.2-1.5 µm thick, uniformly echinulate, nearly hyaline, germ pore 4-7, bizonate, contents orange-yellow.

Telia hypophyllous, subepidermal, minute, in dense clusters limited by veins, brownish yellow; teliospores intercellular, solitary or grouped, often compacted laterally under epidermis, oblong or polygonal, divided longitudinally into 2 to 8 cells, 18-30 µm high × 12-24 µm wide, smooth, pale brownish. Basidiospores globose, 5-8 µm diam, cytoplasm pale yellow.

Host range: Spermogomial and aecial state on: Abies firma Sieb. & Zucc., A. homolepis Sieb. & Zucc., and A. veitchii Lindl. Uredinial and Telial state on: Corylus avellana L., C. colurna L., C. heterophylla Fisch. ex Trautv., C. heterophylla var. thunbergii Blume, C. sieboldiana Blume and C. sieboldiana var. mandshurica (Maxim.) C. K. Schneid.

Geographic distribution: China (Jilin, Kaneko & Hiratsuka, 1981); Japan (Hiratsuka, et al. 1992, Kaneko & Hiratsuka, 1981, Liang, et al. 2006); Korea (Cho & Shin, 2004); Russia (western Siberia Kuprevich & Transchel, 1957).

See Hirastuka et al. (1992) and Kaneko and Hirastuka (1981) for a more detailed description

References:

Kaneko, S., and Hiratsuka, N. 1981. Notes on four tree rusts from Japan. Trans. Mycol. Soc. Japan 22: 219-230.

Liang, Y.-M., Tian, C.-m., and Kakishima, M. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships on 14 morphologically similar species of Pucciniastrum in Japan based on rDNA sequence data. Mycoscience 47: 137-144.

Yamaoka, Y., and Katsuya, K. 1987. Axenic cultures of Pucciniastrum agrimoniae, P. boehmeriae and P.coryli. Trans. Mycol. Soc. Japan 28: 155-161.

Nomenclature

Specimens in BPI

Additional distribution data

Suggested citation: Yun, H.Y. Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. . Invasive Fungi. Asian filbert rust - Pucciniastrum coryli. Retrieved November 21, 2009, from http://nt.ars-grin.gov/sbmlweb/fungi/index.cfm .