Pseudocercospora mapelanensis sp. nov., associated with a fruit and leaf disease of Barringtonia racemosa in South Africa

Abstract

Barringtonia racemosa (Lecythidaceae) is a widely distributed mangrove associate in coastal areas of Africa, Asia and Australia. During routine disease surveys along the east coast of the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, B. racemosa trees were observed showing symptoms of leaf infection and necrotic lesions on fruits. A previously undescribed species of Pseudocercospora was commonly associated with these symptoms. This fungus is described as Pseudocercospora mapelanensis sp. nov., based on multi-gene sequence analyses of the ACT, ITS, LSU and TEF genome regions, as well as morphological characteristics.