Asterinales of India

Abstract

This paper gives an account of 293 taxa resulting from the examination of 1168 fungal exsiccates belonging to 434 host plants in 82 families. The fungal taxa are distributed among 20 genera in two families, namely, Asterinaceae: Asterina (207 species), Asterolibertia (4), Bheemamyces (2), Gangamyces (2), Ishwaramyces (1), Meliolaster (1), Prillieuxina (11), Symphaster (1), Trichasterina (1), Vishnumyces (1); Lembosiaceae: Cirsosia (5), Echidnodella (5), Echidnoides (1), Eupelte (1), Lembosia (19), Maheshwaramyces (2). The anamorphs are Asterostomella (24), Asterostomula (3), Bramhamyces (1) and Mahanteshamyces (1). A new genus, Gangamyces with its type species, G. miliusae, is proposed to accommodate Asterina-like species possessing appressoria in couplets with a stellate lumen in the hyphal cells. Asterina cassiicola, Asterina clusiacearum, Asterina homaligena, Asterina kannurensis, Asterina kodajadriensis, Asterina mallotigena, Asterina mezonevronis, Asterina murrayicola, Asterina physalidis, Bheemamyces capparidis, Gangamyces miliusae, Gangamyces shoreae, Cirsosia vateriae, Lembosia calamigena, Lembosia garciniae, Lembosia pandanacearum, Maheshwaramyces coculi, Asterostomella anogeissi, Asterostomella flacourtiae-montanae, Asterostomella shoreae, Asterostomella xylosmae, Asterostomella ziziphina and Asterostomula pavettae are new species, while, Asterina munnarensis, Asterina songii and Asterina viburnicola are new names proposed for homonyms. The new combination has effected here as Prillieuxina argyreiae based on Asterinella argyreiae. All the genera, species and infraspecific taxa are arranged alphabetically in the two families (Asterinaceae and Lembosiaceae). Individual taxa are dealt with in detail and supplemented with line drawings and or photomicrographs. Host and fungus indexes are provided.