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Murray, B.J. 1926: Four fungi on the endemic species of Rubus in New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 218-225.

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Murray, B.J. 1926: Four fungi on the endemic species of Rubus in New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 218-225.
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This mildew was collected on two types of Rubus australis Forst. on the leaves only of the broad-leaved type, but on the leaves, twigs, and buds of the narrow-leaved. Conidia only were found on the twigs and buds, while on the leaves of both forms both old conidia and perithecia were present. The perithecia, however, were mature, only on the broad-leaved specimens at the time of collection.

The mycelium forms white felty patches irregular in shape and size, which in time tend to become dense, but may be sparse and powdery when young or where less developed; chiefly hypophyllous, rarely epiphyllous also; consisting of superficial, dense, branching and intertwined hyaline hyphae, 3-5 mmm. thick. (Figs. 14, 15).

The perithecia are numerous, scattered, hypopyllous, superficial, ,golden brown, becoming dark brown, spherical, 90-140 (most .100-120) mmm. in diameter; the wall consists of two or three layers of thick-walled selerenchymatous cells on the outside merging gradually into the thin-walled cells surrounding the asci (Fig. 1) ; attached to the, perithecia are appendages which are sparse or numerous, intermixed with and difficult to distinguish from the hyphae of the mycelium, straight to much contorted or knotted, occasionally slightly branched, hyaline or very rarely faintly fuliginous, 25-100 mmm. long or exceptionally up to 1.5 times the width of the perithecium (usually equal to one half to the whole diameter of perithecium), 3-5 mmm thick. (Figs. 2 & 3).

There are 4-17 asci in each perithecium; paraphyses are absent; asci 8-spored, saccate to ovate-oblong, often irregular in shape, 58-82 mmm. long by 28-36 mmm. wide, with a short broad stalk 8-13 x 5-6.6 mmm.; wall of ascus 1.7 mmm. wide. (Fig. 4.)

The ascospores are continuous, hyaline, almost spherical to broadly elliptical, 13-21.5 x 10-12.4 mmm., with granular contents. (Fig. 5.)

The conidia are continuous, hyaline, rounded, or oblong-elliptical to oblong-cylindrical with bluntly rounded ends, ranging from 28-40 mmm. long by 13-18 mmm. wide. (Fig. 6.)

Five species of Erysiphe are recorded for New Zealand, but in the major features of number, shape and size of asci and ascospores the fungus on Rubus agrees only with E. carpophila Syd. (Sydow,. 1924, p. 294) on Weinmannia sylvicola Sol.

In the latter fungus, however, the perithecia.a are somewhat larger and their appendages longer. Moreover, in the single set of material from which the description of E. carpophila was drawn up, it occurred on the capsules only, the leaves being uninfected. But in view both of the agreement of the fungi in their more important characteristics and also of the wide range of hosts upon which the common species of Erysiphe are found, it seems advisable at present. considering our ignorance of the distribution of Erysiphe on native plants, to record the form on Rubus as a form of E. carpophila rather than to assign it immediately to a new species. The new form is therefore designated E. carpophila Syd. var. rubicola.

Habitat, On living leaves and twigs of Rubus australis Forst. West Coast Road, Nelson, 15/4/25., K. M. Curtis (Myc. Herb. No. 354).
The minute acervuli of this fungus were found uniformly and densely distributed over large cankered areas on living stems of an isolated bush of Rubus cissoides A. Cunn. growing in the Botanic Reserve, Nelson, and later on a bush of the same species at Wakapuaka,. The cankers stretch from a few inches to several feet along, and wholly or partially surround the stem. The bark is not ruptured except where the acervuli break through the surface, the canker merely appearing as a light brown dead area slightly sunken below and in marked contrast with the green uninfected regions. (Figs. 18, 19.). A search was made for the same fungus on the leaves and, although none was found on the living leaves, dead leaves on the Nelson bush showed on microscopical examination the presence of a species of Pestalozzia identical in character with that on the twigs. Finally the same fungus was discovered on living leaves. but of a different species of Rubus (R. australis) at Wakapuaka. In the latter case a few acervuli occurred on dead spots on the living leaves in conjunction with other fungi it has not so far been seen on the stems of this species.

The acervuli are numerous, gregarious, scattered over large light brown areas on the living stems, minute, circular, flat then erumpent, 132-165 mmm in diameter. (Fig. 9.)

The spores are fusoid, straight or curved, 5-celled, constricted at the septa, 21-31.6 x 6.6-9 mmm.; the cells vary in intensity of colour, tle three middle ones being olivaceous, darker in the upper two; the basal cell is usually the smallest, light olivaceous to hyaline, with a short pedicel 3-6.6 x 1 mmm. Some young, uncoloured conidia still attached to the aeervuli were found with pedicels considerably larger, up to 11.5 x 2.5 mmm., but this was only in very isolated instances. The uppermost cell is smaller than the middle ones, hyaline, conical, hearing a little below the rounded apex and continuous with the cell, usually three, simple, equal, hyaline cilia, the ends of which are most frequently dilated into a small round knob, all reflexed more or less at right angles to the long axis of the spore, 13-50 mmm. long, by 1-1.5 wide. Occasionally there may be two or four cilia, and very rarely they may fork. (Fig. 10.)

The spores germinate readily in water. The cell above the basal cell or less commonly one of the other cells, swells considerably, appearing lighter in colour than before, and puts forth a germ-tube, or two, which cuts off a wall and rapidly proceeds to form a long, sparsely septate, hyaline hypha, which eventually branches and forms the new mycelium (Fig. 11).

This species of Pestalozzia differs in many respects from the other species recorded on Rubus, most nearly resembling P. longiseta Speg. (Sacc., Syll. Fung., vol. 3, 1884, p. 787) from which it is distinguished by larger spores, shorter pedicels, and the characteristic regularly arranged clubbed cilia which are also, on the whole, comparatively shorter. The present species is therefore, considered distinct and is named Pestalozzia antennaeformis n. sp.

Habitat,-On living stems and dead leaves of Rubus cissoides A. Cunn., Nelson, 19/7/25 and Wakapuaka, 20/9/25, and on living leaves R. australis Forst., Wakapuaka, 20/9/25. B. J. Murray (Myc. Herb. Nos. 355a, 355b).

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9 September 2004
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