''Taphrina polystichi'' is an

ascomycete Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The d ...

fungus that parasitizes Christmas fern ('' Polystichum acrostichoides'') in eastern North America. It was described by A. J. Mix in 1938.

Taxonomy

''Taphrina polystichi'' was described in A. J. Mix in 1938. Mix notes that the fungus was originally identified as ''Exoascus filicinus'' by Coker, though this is not listed as a synonym of the species. A molecular phylogenetic study of the genus suggested that ''T. polystichi'' and ''T. virginica'' were conspecific. However, the authors described a new species based on the strains of ''T. polystichi'' and ''T. virginica'' in a later study using molecular phylogenetics and physiology, but they did not synonymize the taxa.

Description

''Taphrina polystichi'' causes 0.5 to 1 cm, yellowish or whitish swollen spots on leaves. Ascogenous cells are produced on both sides of the leaf, but

asci ASCI or Asci may refer to: * Advertising Standards Council of India * Asci, the plural of ascus, in fungal anatomy * Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative * American Society for Clinical Investigation * Argus Sour Crude Index * Association of ...

are only produced on the upper leaf surface. Asci are stalked and are 30-46 by 4-8 micrometers.

Ascospore An ascus (; ) is the sexual spore-bearing cell produced in ascomycete fungi. Each ascus usually contains eight ascospores (or octad), produced by meiosis followed, in most species, by a mitotic cell division. However, asci in some genera o ...

s are elliptic and 3-6 by 2-4 micrometers. In a trials of

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seve ...

utilization, ''T. polystichi'' was able to use ammonium chloride, ammonium citrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, magnesium nitrate, potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, dl-alpha alanine, l-arginine, dl-aspartic acid, l-glutamic acid, dl-histidine, and dl-valine. In trials of

carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes ...

utilization, ''T. polystichi'' was able to use

dextrose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, usin ...

sucrose Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refi ...

maltose } Maltose ( or ), also known as maltobiose or malt sugar, is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α(1→4) bond. In the isomer isomaltose, the two glucose molecules are joined with an α(1→6) bond. Maltose is the tw ...

, melezitose,

trehalose Trehalose (from Turkish '' tıgala'' – a sugar derived from insect cocoons + -ose) is a sugar consisting of two molecules of glucose. It is also known as mycose or tremalose. Some bacteria, fungi, plants and invertebrate animals synthesize it ...

, dextrin, inulin, and

mannitol Mannitol is a type of sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and medication. It is used as a low calorie sweetener as it is poorly absorbed by the intestines. As a medication, it is used to decrease pressure in the eyes, as in glaucoma, and to low ...

. It was unable to use

lactose Lactose is a disaccharide sugar synthesized by galactose and glucose subunits and has the molecular formula C12H22O11. Lactose makes up around 2–8% of milk (by mass). The name comes from ' (gen. '), the Latin word for milk, plus the suffix ...

, rhamnose, inositol, i-erythritol, xylose, and succinic acid. The ability to use mannitol and the inability to use xylose and succinic acid distinguished it from the other species tested.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10690894 Taphrinomycetes Fungal plant pathogens and diseases