Taxonomy of Erysiphaceae in New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract Powdery mildews from 66 host species were collected between 1972 and 1976, mainly from northern New Zealand. Cleistothecia were found on the mildews from only foar hosts. It was possible to distinguish 15 separate mildew entities on the basis of conidial characteristics, namely differences in gross morphology, presence or absence of cell inclusions as seen under polarised light, surface features as seen with a scanning electron microscope, and mode of conidial germination. Current taxonomic treatments of the Erysiphaceae nre reviewed and their relevance to the 15 local entities is discussed. These local entities correspond to Podosphaera leucotricha (Ellis et Everhart) Salmon, Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr. ex Fr.) Lév., S. fuliginea (Schlecht. ex Fr.) Poll., Erysiphe cichoracearum DC. ex Mérat, E. cichoracearum sensu Salmon, Blumeria graminis Gol. ex Speer, Oidium hortensiae Jorst., Microsphaera alphitodes Griff. et Maubl., M. begoniae Sivanesan, M. russellii Clinton, Oidium euonymi‐japonici (Arc.) Sacc., Uncinula nectator (Schw.) Burill, U. australiana McAlpine, and two distinct entities within Erysiphe polygoni sensu Salmon.