Species of Chrysoporthe pathogenic to Melastomataceae in Brazil

Abstract

Chrysoporthe species are well known to cause canker and mortality in woody species of the Myrtaceae and Melastomataceae families. The later family is one of the largest families of angiosperms worldwide, with species widely used in urban afforestation and environmentally important for the recovery of degraded areas, acting as pioneer species during the process of secondary succession. Thus, the present study aimed to conduct the phylogenetic, morphological and pathogenic characterization of the of fungal isolates obtained from trees belonging to the Melastomataceae family with symptoms of canker, branch dryness and mortality in southeastern Brazil. The first article treats the description of a new species of Chrysoporthe found in southeastern Brazil causing canker and mortality in Miconia spp. and Rhynchanthera grandiflora. The second article is related the occurrence of Chrysoporthe doradensis on R. grandiflora and of Chrysoporthe puriensis on R. grandiflora and Miconia theaezans in the south of Minas Gerais state.