Sori (Fig. 4) as greyish brown leaf spots, 1-5 mm in diam. or larger by confluence, some of them perforated when old, filled by spores embedded in the host tissues. Spores (Fig. 5) crowded, globose, ellipsoidal or irregular with one or several flattened sides, 9-14 x 9.5-16(-18) µm, pale yellowish brown; wall two-layered, unevenly thick, 1-3(-4) µm, usually thickest at the angles, smooth.

Known only from the type collection.

HOST: On Asteraceae: Echinacea angustifolia DC.

Sori maculae cinerescentibrunneae foliorum, diametro 1-5 mm, vel confluentes majores, non nullieorum aetate profecto perforati, sporis in telis plantae nutrientis immissis completi. Sporae refertae, globosae, ellipsoidales vel irregulares, cum latere uno deplanato vel lateribus nonnullis deplanatis, 9-14 x 9.5-16(-18) µm, pallide flavidobrunneae; pariete bistratoso, inaequaliter crasso, 1-3(-4) µm,plaerumque in angulis maxime incrassato,levi.

DISCUSSION: Echinacea is a North American genus with nine known species (Cullen et al. 2000) in the subfamily Asteroideae (Tubiflorae), tribe Heliantheae (Melchior 1964). Seeds of E. angustifolia were originally imported from USA, and during the second season of cultivation in New Zealand severe symptoms of an Entyloma leaf-spot disease were noticed. Species delimitation in Entyloma is difficult because of the rather simple spore morphology. In USA, leaf smuts of Echinacea purpurea and E.pallida have been attributed to Entyloma compositarum and E. polysporum, respectively (Fischer 1953). Most of the leaf smuts of Asteraceae have been placed into these two collective species (Savile 1946, 1947). Fischer (1953) distinguished E. compositarum from E. polysorum by the larger spores with a thicker, two-layered wall in the latter. This broad species concept was not adopted by Vánky (1994) because of the large morphological variability within these two Entyloma species, and the presence of several intermediate forms. Until better methods for species delimitation in Entyloma are available, it is best to adopt a narrow species concept, based on spore morphology correlated to host plant identity at genus level. This is not as narrow a concept as that of Liro (1938), based on specialisation to a host plant species. It is possible that the fungus identified as E. polysporum on Echinaceapallida in USA (Fischer 1953) is the same as E.echinaceae since both have a spore wall composed of two distinct layers.

TYPUS (hic designatus): in matrice Echinacea angustifolia DC., Nova Zelanda, North Island, c.12 km WNW oppid. Gisborne, Patutahi, 38°38¢S, 177°54¢E, III.2001, leg. M. Lewis. Holotypus: PDD 72445; isotypus: Herbario Ustil. Vánky, HUV19620

Sori (Fig. 1) in the capsules destroying the seeds and filling the capsules with a black, first agglutinated, later granular-powdery mass of spore balls, inconspicuous,lacrymiform, acute, c. 2 mm long and 1 mm wide at their base, hidden by the somewhat spreading floral envelopes. Infection systemic, all capsules of a plant being smutted. Spore balls (Fig.2, 3) variable in shape and size, globose, ovoid, ellipsoidal, elongated or irregular, (30-)40-80 x 40-120(-140) µm, dark olivaceous brown, opaque,composed of tens to maybe more than one hundred spores which separate easily by pressure. Spores (Fig. 2, 3) variable in shape and size, irregular, rounded or elongated, polyangular or subpolyangular,often with acute tips and also with an acute edge along the meeting line of two flattened sides, 10.5-14.5 x 12-19(-22) µm, olivaceous-brown; wall 1.5-4(-5) µm thick, uneven, thickest at the angles, apparently smooth, in SEM inner spores and contact sides smooth, free surface finely and sparsely verruculose, and partly also covered by remnants of sporogeneous hyphae as irregular squamae.

HOST: On Restionaceae: Apodasmia similis (Edgar)B.G.Briggs & L.A.S.Johnson (= Leptocarpus similisEdgar). Known only from the type collection.

Sori in capsulis, semina destruentes, et capsulas massa nigra, primo agglutinata, serius granulosopulvere aglomerulorum sporarum implentes, inconspicui,lacrymiformes, acuti, c. 2 mm longi et ad basin 1 mm lati, involucris floralibus aliquantum expansis occulti. Infectio systemica, capsulae omne seiusdem plantae robiginosae. Glomeruli sporarum forma et magnitudine varii, globosi, ovoidei, ellipsoidales, elongati vel irregulares, (30-)40-80 x 40-120 (-140) µm, atro-olivaceobrunnei, opaci, e pluries decem, possibiliter usque plusquam unum centum sporis, pressu leviter separabilibus compositi. Sporae forma et magnitudine variae, irregulares, rotundae vel elongatae, polyangulares vel subpolyangulares, saepe apicibus acutis, et etiam margine secundum lineam tangentialem laterum duorum deplanatorum instructae, 10.5-14.5 x 12-19(-22) µm, olivaceobrunneae; pariete 1.5-4(-5) µm crasso, inaequali, adangulos maxime incrassato, conspicue levi, sub SEM sporae internae et latera contingentia levia, superficies liberae subtiliter, distanter verruculosae et partim residuis hypharum sporogenearum sicut squamulis irregularibus coopertae.

TYPUS (hic designatus): in matrice Apodasmia similis(Edgar) B.G.Briggs & L.A.S.Johnson (= Leptocarpus similis Edgar, det. B. H. Macmillan), Nova Zelanda, Insula Chatham Islands, pr. Pakauwera, 43°45¢S, 176°29¢W, alt. c. 10 m.s.m., 5.IV.1993, leg.E. H. C. McKenzie et P. R. Johnston. Holotypus: PDD 68681; isotypus: Herbario Ustil. Vánky, HUV18548.