Two new species of Fusarium: Fusarium brevicatenulatum from the noxious weed Striga asiatica in Madagascar and Fusarium pseudoanthophilum from Zea mays in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Two new species are described and illustrated: Fusarium brevicatenulatum isolated from the noxious witchweed (Striga asiatica) in Madagascar, and F. pseudoanthophilum isolated from Zea mays in Zimbabwe. F. brevicatenulatum is characterized by long-oval to obovoid, mostly 0-septate conidia adhering usually in false heads on mostly monophialidic conidiophores in the aerial mycelium, the formation of very short false chains of conidia under continuous black light, the rare production of 3-septate sporodochial conidia, and the absence of chlamydospores; F. pseudoanthophilum by the production of mostly O-septate, obovoid to clavate and some pyriform conidia that adhere in false heads and sometimes in very short chains on conidiophores of the aerial mycelium that are often branched and polyphialidic, by 3-5-septate sporodochial conidia, and by chains of chlamydospores.