The Rhamphosporaceae is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the division

Basidiomycota Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

and order of Doassansiales. The

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

family only contains 1

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

; ''Rhamphospora'' and just 1 species, Rhamphospora nymphaeae .

History

In 1888, Surgeon Major David Douglas Cunningham MD (1843–1914, who was the Special assistant to the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India), was also the mycologist who originally found and described the fungus (both the genus and single species). It was found on the leaves of ''

Nymphaea stellata ''Nymphaea nouchali'', often known by its synonym ''Nymphaea stellata'', or by common names blue lotus, star lotus, red water lily, dwarf aquarium lily, blue water lily, blue star water lily or manel flower, is a water lily of genus ''Nymphaea' ...

'', ''

Nymphaea lotus ''Nymphaea lotus'', the white Egyptian lotus, tiger lotus, white lotus, or Egyptian water-lily, is a flowering plant of the family Nymphaeaceae. Distribution It grows in various parts of East Africa and Southeast Asia. ''Nymphaea lotus'' var. ' ...

'' and ''

Nymphaea rubra ''Nymphaea rubra'' is a species of waterlily native to the region spanning from Sri Lanka and northeastern India to western and central Malesia. Additionally, it has been introduced to regions such as Southeast China, Cuba, Guyana, Hungary, and S ...

'', in

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, India. The genus of ''Rhamphospora'' was named after the beak or bill (of a bird ''

Ramphocelus ''Ramphocelus'' is a Neotropical genus of birds of the tanager family. They have enlarged shiny whitish or bluish-grey lower mandibles, which are pointed upwards in display. However, this is greatly reduced in the females of most species. Males a ...

'') known from Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico because of the beak-shaped appendages of its spores (

Ancient greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

''rhamphos'', ' (). The monotypic family of Rhamphosporaceae was published later, by R. Bauer & Oberw. in 1997. It is also known and classified as a ''

smut fungi The smuts are multicellular fungus, fungi characterized by their large numbers of teliospores. The smuts get their name from a Germanic word for 'dirt' because of their dark, thick-walled, and dust-like teliospores. They are mostly Ustilaginomycet ...

''.J. Cramer

Description

''Rhamphospora nymphaeae'' has sori in living leaf and stem tissues, which are scattered or gregarious and are yellowish brown or later they become reddish brown.B. D. Borse, K. N. Borse, S. Y. Patil, C. M. Pawara, L. C. Nemade and V. R. Patil The sori form ovoid or irregular shaped spots, about 1–7 mm long and they become larger by

cell fusion Cell fusion is an important cellular process in which several uninucleate cells (cells with a single nucleus) combine to form a multinucleate cell, known as a syncytium. Cell fusion occurs during differentiation of myoblasts, osteoclasts and ...

. The solitary

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

, become embedded in the host tissues, they are ellipsoidal but rarely broadly ellipsoidal or subglobose in shape. They have an with an apical papilla (which is 0.5–1.5 μm high). The

hyphae A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium. Structure A hypha consists of one o ...

is intracellular (occurring inside the cell) and the

haustoria In botany and mycology, a haustorium (plural haustoria) is a rootlike structure that grows into or around another structure to absorb water or nutrients. For example, in mistletoe or members of the broomrape family, the structure penetrates th ...

is present. The

teliospores Teliospore (sometimes called teleutospore) is the thick-walled resting spore of some fungi ( rusts and smuts), from which the basidium arises. Development They develop in '' telia'' (sing. ''telium'' or ''teliosorus''). The telial host is the p ...

(thick-walled resting spores) are formed individually and are usually lemon-shaped, hyaline or pale yellow, and smooth or finely verruculose (have a surface covered with tiny wart-like protuberances). The teliospores are formed on the branches of fertile hyphae and germinating directly to form

basidia A basidium (: basidia) is a microscopic spore-producing structure found on the hymenophore of reproductive bodies of basidiomycete fungi. The presence of basidia is one of the main characteristic features of the group. These bodies are also ...

(spore-producing structures). The basidia are filiform (thread-like shape), or cylindrical (in form), septate (divided into cells) with an apical cluster of 4–6 four celled fertile branches, which each give rise to 2–3

basidiospores A basidiospore is a reproductive spore produced by basidiomycete fungi, a grouping that includes mushrooms, shelf fungi, rusts, and smuts. Basidiospores typically each contain one haploid nucleus that is the product of meiosis, and they are pr ...

(sexual spores). They are produced subterminally, beaked, promycelium consisting of a long germinal tube with terminal branches bearing apical sporida. The ramified basidiospores of ''Rhamphospora nymphaeae'' have enlarged surfaces, which could be used for dispersal in water.

Distribution

It has a widespread distribution, in north temperate and neotropic zones.P. F. Cannon and P. M. Kirk (editors) Organization for Flora Neotropica Including places such as (in North America); Canada (in the

Provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

of British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Québec), USA (in the states of Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin). In Central America, within Costa Rica, and Cuba. In Europe, within the countries of Finland, France, Germany, Romania, Switzerland and the UK. In Asia, within Japan, Korea, China and India, and also in

Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...

, within New Zealand.

Hosts

''Rhamphospora nymphaeae'' causes necrotic stem and leaf spots on members of the

Nymphaeaceae Nymphaeaceae () is a family of flowering plants, commonly called water lilies. They live as rhizomatous aquatic herbs in temperate climate, temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains five genera with about 70 know ...

family in freshwater habitats. Such as ''

Nuphar advena ''Nuphar advena'' (spatterdock or cow lily or yellow pond-lily) is a species of ''Nuphar'' native throughout the eastern United States and in some parts of Canada, such as Nova Scotia, as well as Mexico and Cuba. It is locally naturalized in Brit ...

'' (syn ''Nymphaea advena''), ''

Nymphaea alba ''Nymphaea alba'', the white waterlily, European white water lily or white nenuphar , is an aquatic flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia (Jammu and Kashmir). Since '' ...

'', ''

Nymphaea ampla ''Nymphaea ampla'', also known as the dotleaf waterlily, is a species of flowering plant in the family Nymphaeaceae. It is native to Texas, Florida, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern and western South America. It is depicted i ...

'', ''

Nymphaea odorata ''Nymphaea odorata'', also known as the American white waterlily, fragrant water-lily, beaver root, fragrant white water lily, white water lily, sweet-scented white water lily, and sweet-scented water lily, is an aquatic plant belonging to the ge ...

'' (syn ''Nymphaea reniformis''), ''

'', ''

Nymphaea tetragona ''Nymphaea tetragona'' is an aquatic perennial, species of flowering plant commonly called pygmy waterlily and small white water lily, belonging to the family Nymphaeaceae. Description Vegetative characteristics The leaves can be cordate or ov ...

'', and ''

Nymphaea tuberosa ''Nymphaea odorata'' subsp. ''tuberosa'' is a subspecies of '' Nymphaea odorata'' native to the region spanning from Central and Eastern Canada, extending to North Central and Northeastern United States. Description Vegetative characteristics ...

'' ''Nymphaea tetragona'' was recorded as host plant of this smut fungus from Japan in 1953.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q10652159, from2=Q10652157, from3=Q10652158 Ustilaginomycotina Fungal plant pathogens and diseases Fungi described in 1888 Fungus species