Urocystis cumminsii sp. nov., a smut fungus on Themidaceae from Arizona
Keyword(s):
The morphology and phylogenetic relationships of a species of Urocystis on Dichelostemma capitatum (Themidaceae, Asparagales) collected in the Tucson Mountains in Arizona, United States, were studied using microscopy and ITS rDNA sequence analyses. This is a first record for smut fungi on hosts from Themidaceae. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on ITS sequence data revealed its basal position in relation to species on Poaceae. As a result, the smut in leaves of Dichelostemma capitatum is described and illustrated here as a new species, Urocystis cumminsii.