Podosphaera myrtillina

Podosphaera myrtillina
Podosphaera myrtillina on Vaccinium in Finland.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Leotiomycetes
Order:	Helotiales
Family:	Erysiphaceae
Genus:	Podosphaera
Species:	P. myrtillina
Binomial name
Podosphaera myrtillina (C. Schub.) Kunze, 1823
Synonyms
Sphaeria myrtillinaC. Schub, 1823 Erysiphe myrtillina(C. Schub) Fr., 1829 Podosphaera kunzei f. myrtillina(C. Schub) Rabenh., 1863 Podosphaera myrtilliDufrenoy, 1919 Podosphaera major(Juel) S. Bumer, 1933

Podosphaera myrtillina is a species of powdery mildew in the family Erysiphaceae. It is found in North America and Eurasia, where it affects plants in the genus Vaccinium . ^{[1] [2]}

Description

The fungus forms effuse, thin, evanescent mycelium on host leaves, which usually change colour. Podosphaeramyrtillina, like most Erysiphaceae, is highly host-specific and infects only Vaccinium . ^[1] Podosphaera myrtillina is confined to smaller species of Vaccinium, while Erysiphe vaccinii is generally found on larger species.

Taxonomy

The fungus was formally described in 1823 by C. Schubert with the basionym Sphaeria myrtillina. It was transferred to the genus Podosphaera later that year by Kunze. The species comprises two varieties: var. myrtillina and var. major. The latter has longer, more flexuose chasmothecial appendages than the former. ^[1] The chasmothecia of var. major are said to intertwine their appendages to form clusters which are dispersed by rain or wind. ^[2]

References

1. Braun, Uwe; Cook, Roger T. A. (2012). Taxonomic manual of the Erysiphales (powdery mildews). CBS biodiversity series. Utrecht: CBS-KNAW fungal biodiversity centre. ISBN   978-90-70351-89-2.
2. UK, CAB International; Heluta, V. P.; Minter, D. W. (1998-12-31). "Podosphaera myrtillina. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria]". Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria: Sheet 1378. doi:10.1079/DFB/20056401378.