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