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Fungi of Australia: Septoria

This book provides the first comprehensive and detailed revision of Septoria species recorded from Australia. Priest studied over 1100 specimens collected on the continent, (re)assessing their identity, by careful comparison with the author’s own observations of type or authentic material originating mainly from other continents, and data provided in the literature. The work contains detailed morphological descriptions and line drawings of 114 taxa of Septoria, including 25 species endemic to Australia, of which ten are newly described. In addition, several species of the associated teleomorph genus Mycosphaerella and six other related genera are also treated. The Introduction deals with nomenclature and typification of Septoria Sacc., circumscription and taxonomic characters, similar anamorph genera (including Phloeospora which is maintained as a separate genus), teleomorph relations, a brief overview of taxonomic literature, host relationships and biogeography. It is followed by a taxonomic part in which the taxa are arranged according to 54 families of host plants. The taxonomic descriptions provide information on symptoms in host tissues, morphology of the fungus, host range, distribution, specimens examined and a discussion. Each species is illustrated by line drawings of conidiomata in transverse section, conidiogenous cells and conidia. Identification keys are provided for species on Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Poaceae and a few other plant families. Doubtful and excluded names are presented next, followed by Latin diagnoses of novel species and formal new combinations in an Appendix. The volume concludes with an extensive Glossary and Bibliography, Index of Fungi and Index of Host. Methods employed have not been described. The species descriptions provide details on conidiogenesis and conidial morphology in planta which are of importance for delimitation of species in the group. For two species, some information on culture characters (Septoria aff. cocoina, S. chrysanthemella) is also added. The cover of this volume shows a lovely aquarelle by the late Margaret Senior of the Septoria citri spots on leaves and fruits of Citrus limon. Spoiled by this illustration, one misses pictures of symptoms caused by other species. The line drawings are generally of good quality, but unfortunately some appear pixelated. Culture studies and molecular characterisation fell outside the scope of the work presented here. Morphologically similar species on hosts in different families are retained as separate entities. Taxa within the same family are primarily delimited by shape, width, length and numbers of septa of conidia, and by conidiogenesis. Priest proposes new combinations for several taxa. Septoria transversalis from Apidistra elatior (Liliaceae) undoubtedly is referable to Ascochyta, but Priest was not able to examine the type and treats this species under Septoria. The author studied some 70 types and numerous other ‘exsiccata’. Surprisingly, he does not refer to the monographic work done by Muthumary (1999) on Septoria spp. in India, in which were described and illustrated several types Priest did not examine himself. Notable differences exist between the concepts for these taxa adopted by Muthumary and Priest. For example, based on examination of the type from PC, Muthumary noted that S. dianthi Desm. has 0–2-septate conidia produced by sympodially proliferating conidiogenous cells, while Priest reports 0–1-septate conidia and no proliferation. Septoria gerani Rob. & Desm. has non-proliferating conidiogenous cells according to Priest, but Muthumary clearly illustrated sympodial proliferations in the type material. Anyone who has tried to determine under the light microscope the mode of conidiogenesis in the small conidiogenous cells of these fungi knows how difficult this can be. Variation in the morphological characters of the conidia also poses problems in Septoria taxonomy. In Priest’s concept of S. vignae P. Henn., conidia measure 18–40 (–52) × 1–1.5 μm (in the key on p. 110 ‘conidia usually less than 2 μm wide. . .mostly more than 30 μm long’), while in that of Muthumary, who studied the type, the range of conidial sizes is 20–30 × 2–2.5 μm. Specimen citation appears to be complete at first sight. However, several ‘exsiccata’ (and DAR) collections featuring in the figures and their captions are not found in the text. For example, Priest states that the single collection of S. anemones ‘agrees well with the single exsiccatus’. The reader wonders which collection this is. Is it the collection DAR 62789 depicted in the figure? And if it is, where was it collected and what is the host? Similar questions arise from the treatise of S. concolvuli, S. cucurbitacearum, S. geranii and S. verbenae, where specimens of obvious importance to the interpretation of these taxa are not cited either. These are of course just minor points and it is clear that the work presented in this volume has been conducted by an experienced phytomycologist and taxonomist. Priest has managed to reinvestigate practically all Australian records of Septoria for which material was available. His work provides a necessary baseline of continued investigations on these pathogens in Australia. Future research would certainly have to include culturing and molecular work in order to clarify the phylogeny and biodiversity of the group. This volume belongs on the shelf of any mycologist or plant pathologist who has to deal with these interesting fungi in the region, but students with an interest in Septoria from other areas will surely also benefit from the wealth of data provided.