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Research Article
Unveiling new species of Phragmidiaceae (Basidiomycota, Pucciniales) on rosaceous plants from Guizhou, China
expand article infoQinfang Zhang‡, Qianzhen Wu‡, Peng Zhao§, Kamran Habib‡, Yao Wang‡, Dexiang Tang‡, Muhammad AIjaz Ahmad‡, Yulin Ren‡, Xiangchun Shen‡, Qingde Long‡, Lili Liu‡, Qirui Li‡
‡ Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
§ Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

Corresponding author: Lili Liu ( lililiu550025@163.com )

Corresponding author: Qirui Li ( lqrnd2008@l63.com )

Academic editor: Samantha C. Karunarathna
© 2025 Qinfang Zhang, Qianzhen Wu, Peng Zhao, Kamran Habib, Yao Wang, Dexiang Tang, Muhammad AIjaz Ahmad, Yulin Ren, Xiangchun Shen, Qingde Long, Lili Liu, Qirui Li.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Zhang Q, Wu Q, Zhao P, Habib K, Wang Y, Tang D, Ahmad MA, Ren Y, Shen X, Long Q, Liu L, Li Q (2025) Unveiling new species of Phragmidiaceae (Basidiomycota, Pucciniales) on rosaceous plants from Guizhou, China. MycoKeys 115: 309-326. https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.115.146604
Open Access

Abstract

Rust fungi associated with Rubus were collected across diverse locations in Guizhou Province, and three new species – Gerwasia amphidasydis on Rubus amphidasys, Phragmidium coreanicola on Rubus coreanus, and Phragmidium parvifolius on Rubus parvifolius are introduced. These novel species are described based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the ITS and LSU loci. Additionally, Gerwasia rubi-setchuenensis is introduced as a new host record on Rubus buergeri. The study includes comprehensive morpho-anatomical descriptions, detailed illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree, providing insights into the taxonomic placement and relationships of these novel taxa within their respective lineages.

Key words:

ITS, LSU, Phragmidiaceae, phylogeny, rust disease, taxonomy

Introduction

Pucciniales (Basidiomycota, Pucciniomycetes) represents approximately 25% of basidiomycete fungi and constitutes one of the most prevalent fungal groups, parasitizing leaves, fruits, and branches of plants, thereby inhibiting normal growth and development of plants and impacting yield and quality (Aime and McTaggart 2021; Zhao et al. 2022a). To date, seven suborders (i.e., Araucariomycetineae, Melampsorineae, Mikronegeriineae, Raveneliineae, Rogerpetersoniineae, Skierkineae, and Uredinineae) and 18 families (i.e., Araucariomycetaceae, Coleosporiaceae, Crossopsoraceae, Gymnosporangiaceae, Melampsoraceae, Milesinaceae, Ochropsoraceae, Phakopsoraceae, Phragmidiaceae, Pileolariaceae, Pucciniaceae, Pucciniastraceae, Raveneliaceae, Rogerpetersoniaceae, Skierkaceae, Sphaerophragmiaceae, Tranzscheliaceae, and Zaghouaniaceae) have been reported (Aime et al. 2017; Aime and McTaggart 2021; Zhao et al. 2022b).

According to estimations, there are approximately 35,000 higher plant species in China, which are categorized into 454 families and 3,818 genera (Wang et al. 2015). It is further estimated that between 1,700 and 8,800 species of rust fungi may exist within the country, posing a significant threat to the health and productivity of these plant species (Zhao et al. 2021). More than 8,400 rust taxa have been documented worldwide (Zhao et al. 2021; Sun et al. 2022). Based on their morphological characteristics and host associations, 1,200 species from 71 genera across 15 families have been documented in China. Among them, more than 70 species of Phragmidium have been identified. (Dai 1979; Zhuang et al. 1998, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2021; Ji et al. 2019, 2020; Zhao et al. 2021; Sun et al. 2022, 2024). Plants are susceptible to Coleosporiaceae, Melampsoraceae, Phragmidiaceae, and Pucciniaceae, which are the dominant families of rust taxa in China (Zhao et al. 2021; Zhao et al. 2022b; Sun et al. 2024).

The genus Phragmidium (Pucciniales: Phragmidiaceae) was established by Link (1816). Phragmidiaceae comprises a diverse array of species, encompassing 14 genera and an estimated 200 species, primarily targeting the economically vital family Rosaceae (examples of hosts in Rosaceae: Rosa, Rubus, Potentilla, Sanguisorba, Duchesnea, and Acaena) (Zhao et al. 2021; Sun et al. 2024). A total of 115 Phragmidium species have been described (Cummins 1931; Arthur 1934; Wahyuno et al. 2001; Cummins and Hiratsuka 2003; Zhuang et al. 2012; Yang et al. 2015; Ali et al. 2017; Zhao et al. 2021; Sun et al. 2022; Ya 2024). Among these, 38 species specifically target and parasitize members of the genus Rosa (Ya 2024), and at least 39 Phragmidium species have been reported in China (Wei 1988; Zhuang et al. 2003, 2012; Yang et al. 2015; Liu et al. 2018).

The susceptibility of Rosaceae plants to Phragmidiaceae infections underscores the importance of understanding the biology, ecology, and management strategies of these fungal pathogens (Dietel 1905; Yun et al. 2011; Sun et al. 2022). During the field investigation of rust fungi on medicinal plants in Guizhou Province, China, three potential new species were found belonging to the genera Gerwasia and Phragmidium of Phragmidiaceae, which infect the members of Rosaceae, as well as one species that infects a new host. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis using multi-locus (ITS and LSU) phylogeny and morphological characteristics to better understand their taxonomic position. Descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic analysis results of all the novel species and the new host record are provided.

Materials and methods

Sample collection and preservation

Rust-infected specimens were collected in Guizhou Province, China, from August to November of each year from 2021 to 2023. All host and habitat information of specimens was recorded (Rathnayaka et al. 2024). Photographs of the infected plants were taken using a camera (Canon G15, Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). The samples were kept in blotting papers and were brought to the laboratory for examination. The collected specimens were partly kept in a refrigerator at 4 °C for spare parts and partly pressed and air-dried to make pressed specimens (Wei and Wang 2011; Wu et al. 2023). All specimens were deposited at the herbarium of Guizhou Medical University (GMB) and Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (KUN-HKAS).

Morphological characterization

Macroscopic characteristics were observed under a stereomicroscope (Olympus SZ61), and photographs were taken with a digital camera (Canon 700D) fitted with a light microscope (Nikon Ni). The infected portions were examined, and photographs were taken as described by Wu et al. (2023). More than 30 measurements were noted for each type of teliospores, urediniospores, and paraphyses for each sample using the Tarosoft (R) Image Frame Work v. 0.9.0.7. The images were arranged using Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Adobe Systems, the USA).

DNA extraction and PCR amplification

The infected portion of the rust fungus was scraped using a sterilized scalpel. DNA extraction was carried out following the manufacturer’s protocols for the Biomiga Fungal gDNA Kit. The DNA samples were kept at –20 °C. The rust-specific primer pairs Rust2inv (Aime 2006) and ITS4rust (Pfunder et al. 2001) were used for the PCR amplification of the regions of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), whereas the universal primer pairs LR0R (Hopple and Vilgalys 1999) and LR6 (Vilgalys and Hester 1990) were used for the large subunit ribosomal (LSU). The composition of a 25 μL PCR mixture comprised the following: 9.5 μL of double-distilled water, 12.5 μL of PCR Master Mix, 1 μL of each primer, as well as 1 μL of template DNA. The qualified PCR products were verified through 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis, stained with GoldenView, and subsequently submitted to Sangon Co. China for sequencing (Zhao et al. 2016).

Phylogenetic analyses

All sequences were obtained in ABI file format and deposited in the GenBank (Table 1). The consensus sequences were blasted in GenBank using the BLAST algorithm. The similar sequences were retrieved from the GenBank database. The molecular phylogeny was inferred from a combined dataset of ITS and LSU sequences. The reference sequences retrieved from open databases originated from recently published literature (Zhao et al. 2021; Wu et al. 2023; Sun et al. 2024). All the ambiguous nucleotides were trimmed using BioEdit software v.7.0.5.3 and TrimAL (Hall 1999). Sequences were aligned using the MAFFT v.7.110 online tool (Katoh and Standley 2013). The alignments are available in TreeBASE (www.treebase.org/treebase-web/home.html) under ID31754 for LSU and ITS rDNA sequences. The maximum likelihood (ML) analysis was implemented in RAxML v.8.2.12 using the GTRGAMMA substitution model with 1,000 bootstrap replicates (Stamatakis 2015). The phylogenetic analyses were also performed using Bayesian inference in MrBayes v.3.2.1 (Ronquist et al. 2015) online. The Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling in MrBayes v.3.2.2 (Ronquist et al. 2015) was used to determine the Bayesian posterior probabilities (BYPP). Six simultaneous Markov chains were run for 3,000,000 generations, and trees were sampled every 1,000th generation. All analyses were run on the CIPRES Science Gateway v.3.3 web portal (Miller et al. 2010; Huelsenbeck and Ronquist 2001). The phylogenetic tree was visualized by FigTree v.1.4.3 (Rambaut 2012).

Table 1.
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Taxa information and corresponding GenBank accession numbers of the sequences used in the phylogenetic analyses.

Species Specimen No. Host Province, Country GenBank Accession No. References
ITS LSU
Gerwasia chinensis HMAS249978 (ZP-R5) Rubus parkeri Yunnan, China MK519039 MK518737 Zhao et al. 2021
G. chinensis HMAS249980 (ZP-R295) Rubus parkeri Yunnan, China MK519038 MK518540 Zhao et al. 2021
G. pittieriana BPI 843556 Rubus sp. USA KY764065 KY764065 Zhao et al. 2021
G. rubi (ZP-R345) Rubus setchuenensis Sichuan, China – MK518735 Zhao et al. 2021
G. amphidasydis GMB4047* Rubus amphidasys Guizhou, China PQ472136 PQ456450 This study
G. amphidasydis GMB4076 Rubus amphidasys Guizhou, China PQ472137 PQ456451 This study
G. rubi-setchuenensise GMB4052 Rubus buergeri Guizhou, China PQ472135 PQ456449 This study
G. rubi-setchuenensise GMB4075 Rubus buergeri Guizhou, China PQ472134 PQ456448 This study
G. rubi-setchuenensis HGUP21168* Rubus setchuenensis Guizhou, China OR470045 OR528540 Sun et al. 2024
G. rubus-playfairianus HMAS249840 (ZP-R 1374) Rubus playfairianus Guangxi, China MK518976 MK518674 Sun et al. 2024
Gymnosporangium asiaticum CUP-0016* Juniperus chinensis Japan MN642593 MN642617 Zhao et al. 2020
Gymnosporangium sabinae TNM F0030477 Pyrus communis Bulgaria: Sofia KY964764 KY964764 Shen et al. 2017
Hamaspora acutissima BRIP:55606 Rubus rolfei Philippines – KT199398 McTaggart et al. 2016
H. sinica ZP-R1 Rubus setchuenensis Guangdong, China MK519049 MK518636 Zhao et al. 2020
H. longissima BPI 871506 Rubus rigidu South Africa – MW049262 Aime and McTaggart 2021
H. rubi-lambertianuse HGUP21164* Rubus lambertianus Guizhou, China OR470053 OR528547 Sun et al. 2024
H. rubi-parkerii HGUP21159* Rubus parkeri Guizhou, China OR470055 OR528543 Sun et al. 2024
H. rubi-alceifolii GMB0109* Rubus alceifolius Guizhou, China OQ067094 OQ067532 Wu et al. 2023
H. rubi-alceifolii GMB0116 Rubus alceaefolius Guizhou, China OQ067095 OQ067533 Wu et al. 2023
Kuehneola uredinis LD1029 Rubus sp. New York, America GU058013 GU058013 Dixon et al. 2018
Phragmidium barnardii HGUP21035 Rubus parvifolius Guizhou, China OL684828 OL684839 Sun et al. 2022
P. charyuensis BJFC: R02532* Rosa duplicata China MH128374 NG_064492 Liu et al. 2018
P. cibanum BJFC: R02528 Rubus niceus China MH128370 NG_064491 Liu et al. 2018
P. cymosum GMB0115 Rosa cymosa Guizhou, China OQ067097 OQ067531 Wu et al. 2023
P. cymosum GMB0108* Rosa cymosa Guizhou, China OQ067096 OQ067530 Wu et al. 2023
P. coreanicola GMB0101* Rubus coreanus Guizhou, China PQ472133 PQ456447 This study
P. coreanicola GMB4071 Rubus coreanus Guizhou, China PQ472132 PQ456448 This study
P. griseum HMAS56906 Rubus crataegifoliu Beijing, China MH128377 MG669115 Liu et al. 2018
P. griseum BJFCR 03451 – Beijing, China MN264713 MN264731 Liu et al. 2020
P. griseum BJFCR03449 Rubus crataegifoliu Beijing, China MN264712 MN264730 Liu et al. 2020
P. japonicum HMAS41585 Rosa laecigata Fujian, China MN264716 MN264734 Liu et al. 2020
P. jiangxiense BJFCR 03453* Rosa laecigata Jiangxi, China MN264715 MN264733 Liu et al. 2020
P. kanasense ZP-R1382 Phoenix acaulis Yunnan, China MK518980 MK518678 Zhao et al. 2021
P. kanasense ZP-R491 Rosa fedtschenkoana Xinjiang, China – MK518748 Zhao et al. 2021
P. leucoaecium BJFCR 02118* Rosa sp. Yunnan, China MN264719 MN264737 Liu et al. 2020
P. mexicanum E14_5_1 Potentilla indica Slovenia, Forestry LN795901 LN795901 Piškur and Jurc 2017
P. octoloculare HMAS140416 Rubus biflorus China MH128376 MG669119 Liu et al. 2018
P. pauciloculare ZP-R318 Rubus corchorifolius Guangxi, China MK518874 MK518542 Zhao et al. 2021
P. potentillae HGUP21034 Acaena novae-zelandiae Tasmania, Australia OL684827 OL684838 Sun et al. 2022
P. potentillae HMJAU8609 Potentilla chinensis China MK296538 MK296520 Ji et al. 2019
P. potentillae BJFCR 00961 Potentilla chinensis Beijing, China MN264720 MN264738 Liu et al. 2020
P. potentillae TJ-1F Potentilla chinensis China PP272995 PP266810 Liu et al. 2020
P. potentillae GMB4048 Potentilla chinensis Guizhou, China PQ472142 PQ456456 This study
P. potentillae GMB4072 Potentilla chinensis. Guizhou, China PQ472143 PQ456457 This study
P. rosae-multiflorae HGUP21158 Rosa multiflora Guizhou, China OR470059 OR528548 Sun et al. 2024
P. rosae-multiflorae BIFCR 03454 Rosa multiflora Jiangxi, China MN264721 MN264739 Liu et al. 2020
P. rosae-multiflorae HMAS94924 Rosa multiflora Zhejiang, China – KU059175 Sun et al. 2022
P. rosae-multiflorae GMB4044 Rosa multiflora Guizhou, China PQ472144 PQ456459 This study
P. rosae-multiflorae GMB4073 Rosa multiflora Guizhou, China PQ472145 PQ456458 This study
P. rosae-roxburghii HGUP21025* Rosa roxburghii Guizhou, China OL684818 OL684831 Liu et al. 2018
P. rosae-roxburghii GMB0104 Rosa xanthina Guizhou, China OQ067092 – Wu et al. 2023
P. rosae-kwangtungensise HGUP21154* Rosa kwangtungensis Guizhou, China OR470067 – Sun et al. 2024
P. rosae-cymosaii HGUP21147 Rosa cymosa Guizhou, China OR470062 OR528551 Sun et al. 2024
P. rubi-idaei HMUT100470 Rubus saxatilis Chongqing, China OQ613354 OQ606768 –
P. rubi-oldhami KSNUH1322 Rubus pungens South Korea ON180674 ON170371 Kim et al. 2022
Phragmidium sp. HMJAU8613 – Changchun, China MK398297 MK398296 Ji et al. 2019
P. parvifolius GMB4054* Rubus parvifolius Guizhou, China PQ472140 PQ456454 This study
P. parvifolius GMB4070 Rubus parvifolius Guizhou, China PQ472141 PQ456455 This study
P. tormentillae GMB00114 Potentilla simulatrix Guizhou, China OQ067093 – Wu et al. 2023
P. tormentillae BPI 843392 Duchesnea sp. USA: Maryland – DQ354553 Yun et al. 2011
P. violaceum KRM 0035511 Rubus sp. Germany ON063390 ON063390 Bradshaw et al. 2023
P. violaceum ZP-R1384 Duchesnea indica Yunnan, China MK518982 MK518680 Zhao et al. 2021
P. yangii BJFCR 00338 Rosa lichiangensis Beijing, China MN264725 MN264743 Yang et al. 2015
P. zangdongi BJFC: R02447* Rosa tibetica Tibet, China MH128372 NG064490 Liu et al. 2018
P. zhouquensis BJFCR01516 Rosa omeiensis Yunnan, China MN264728 MN264746 Yang et al. 2015
P. zhouquensis BJFCR01529 Rosa omeiensis Yunnan, China MN264729 MN264747 Liu et al. 2020
Trachyspora alchemillae BPI 843828 Alchemilla vulgari Switzerland DQ354550 DQ354550 Aime 2006

Notes: –: no data available; *: type specimens or strains.

Results

Phylogeny

In this study, 14 samples from twelve host plant species were collected in Guizhou Province. Through morphological and molecular systematic studies, a total of 6 species were identified, including three new species, one new host species, and two known species.

For the final phylogenetic analyses, taxa were selected based on their morphological and phylogenetic affinities, largely following the approach of Zhao et al. (2021). Both the RAxML and BYPP analyses produced similar overall tree topologies with no significant differences. The alignment includes 67 species (comprising one family: Phragmidiaceae, six genera: Phragmidium, Gerwasia, Hamaspora, Kuehneola, Trachyspora, and the outgroup genus Gymnosporangium) and contains 1245 characters, including gaps (ITS: 398 bp, LSU: 847 bp). Among these, three novel species have been identified (Gerwasia amphidasydis sp. nov., Phragmidium parvifolius sp. nov., and P. coreanicola sp. nov.). Additionally, one species (G. rubi-setchuenensise) was reported for the first time on Rubus buergeri.

Taxonomy

Family Phragmidiaceae Corda, Icon. Fung. (Prague) 1: 6. 1837

Genus Gerwasia Racib. Bull. Acad. Sci. Lett. Cracovie, Cl. Sci. Math. Nat. Sér. B, Sci. Nat. 3: 270. 1909

Gerwasia amphidasydis Q. F. Zhang, Q. Z. Wu & Q. R. Li, sp. nov.

MycoBank No: 854995
Fig. 2

Type.

China • Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, Kuangkuoshui Nature Reserve (28°12'40"N, 107°10'22"E), 2227 m a.s.l., on leaves of Rubus amphidasys. 1 November 2022, Q. Z. Wu and Q. F. Zhang (holotype GMB4047, isotype KUN-HKAS144247);

Etymology.

The epithet refers to the host species, Rubus amphidasys Focke ex Diels., from which the holotype was collected.

Description.

Spermogonia , Aecia, and Telia not found. Uredinia 0.2–0.8 mm diam. produced on the abaxial leaf surface, scattered to gregarious, hypophyllous, covered by peridium, small, rounded, light yellow, or orange-yellow. Urediniospores 29–41 × 22–29 μm (av. = 34 × 26 μm, n = 30), globose to subglobose or ovoid, golden, yellow-brown, wall 1.2–2.5 µm thick at sides, hyaline, prominent sparsely echinulate, markings elongated longitudinally, 1.3–3.1 µm in distance, pore obscure, germ pores inconspicuous. Pedicel broken; paraphyses not seen.

Additional material examined.

China • Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, Kuangkuoshui Nature Reserve, (28°12'38"N, 107°10'21"E) 2214 m a.s.l., on the leaves of Rubus amphidasys (Rosaceae). 1 November 2022, Q. Z. Wu and Q. F. Zhang (GMB4076).

Notes.

Gerwasia amphidasydis was the first species of Gerwasia described on Rubus amphidasys. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that G. amphidasydis formed a separate branch (Fig. 1). Morphologically, G. amphidasydis and G. rubi exhibit similar spines. Moreover, the difference between G. amphidasydis and G. rubi is that the former has bigger urediniospores (29–41 × 22–29 μm vs. 22–33 × 16–26 µm) (Ito 1950; Hiratsuka et al. 1992). Gerwasia amphidasydis and G. guanganensis have similar uredinia and urediniospores; however, G. guanganensis has longer spine distances compared to G. amphidasydis (4.0–6.0 µm vs. 1.3–3.1 µm) (Zhao et al. 2021). Gerwasia amphidasydis is distinguishable from G. rubi-setchuenensise by having larger urediniospores (29–41 × 22–29 μm vs. 18–29 × 15–22 μm) and a thinner wall (1.2–2.5 µm vs. 2.1–3.2 μm) (Sun et al. 2024).

Figure 1. 

RAxML tree of the family Phragmidiaceae based on rDNA ITS and LSU sequences. ML bootstrap supports (≥75%) and Bayesian posterior probability (≥0.90) are indicated as ML/BYPP. The tree is rooted to G. sabinae and G. asiaticum (Yang et al. 2015; Aime et al. 2018). All species newly studied are indicated in red, with novel species highlighted in bold red. Type materials were highlighted in bold.

Figure 2. 

Gerwasia amphidasydis (Holotype GMB4047) A–D host and its habitat E–F uredinia under a stereomicroscope G–K urediniospores. Scale bars: 1 mm (D, F); 0.5 mm (E); 10 μm (G–K).

Additionally, the LSU sequences of Gerwasia amphidasydis also differ from that of G. rubi with 93.74% similarity and from G. rubi-setchuenensis with 90.56% similarity. The ITS sequence for Gerwasia rubi is not available in the NCBI database, whereas the ITS sequence similarity between Gerwasia amphidasydis and G. rubi-setchuenensis is 98.56%.

Phragmidium coreanicola Q. F. Zhang, Q. Z. Wu & Q. R. Li, sp. nov.

MycoBank No: 855005
Fig. 3

Type.

China • Guizhou Province, Guiyang City, Campus of Guizhou Medical University (26°22'48"N, 106°37'30"E), 1911 m a.s.l., on leaves of Rubus coreanus (Rosaceae), 7 October 2021, Q. Z. Wu (holotype GMB0101, isotype KUN-HKAS144249).

Etymology.

The epithet refers to the host species, Rubus coreanus Miq. var. coreanus, from which the holotype was collected.

Description.

Spermogonia and Aecia not found. Uredinia 0.1–0.7 mm diam., produced on the abaxial leaf surface, scattered to gregarious, hypophyllous, yellow spots, scattered, irregular patches. Urediniospores 20–29 × 14–25 μm (av. = 24 × 21 μm, n = 30), globose to subglobose or broadly elliptical to ellipsoidal, wall 0.8–2.1 μm thick (av. = 1.4 μm, n = 30), inconspicuous or smooth at the base; inclusions orange-yellow or pale-yellow; germ pores 2–3, sub-equatorial. Telia 0.1–0.9 mm diam., hypophyllous, dark brown to black, clustered or scattered, bacilliform. Teliospores 107–167 × 25–35 μm (av. = 134 × 30 μm, n = 30), cylindrical, 5–7 cells, often 6, reddish-brown to opaque, rounded at the apex, rounded or somewhat attenuate at the base, not or slightly constricted at the septum, pedicels sub-hyaline, persistent, 47–96 × 12–19 μm (av. = 68 × 16 μm, n = 30), with a swollen base that gradually shows orange-yellow contents towards the lower end. Pedicel broken; paraphyses not seen.

Figure 3. 

Phragmidium coreanicola (Holotype, GMB0101) A–C host and its habitat D–E uredinia and telia F, G urediniospores H–K teliospores. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (D, E); 10 μm (F–K).

Additional material examined.

China • Guizhou Province, Qingzhen City (26°34'58"N, 106°28'28"E), 1972 m a.s.l., on leaves of Rubus coreanus (Rosaceae), 7 October 2021, Q.Z. Wu (GMB4071).

Notes.

Phragmidium coreanicola formed a separate branch in our phylogenetic analyses (Fig. 1). Morphologically, P. coreanicola differs from P. griseum in having slightly wider urediniospores (14–25 μm vs. 13–21 μm) and larger teliospores (107–167 × 25–35 μm vs. 50–125 × 18–28 μm) (Liu et al. 2018). Additionally, P. coreanicola is reported on Rubus coreanus, whereas P. griseum was found on Rubus crataegifolius. Phragmidium coreanicola differs from P. cibanum, which is reported on Rubus niveus, by having bigger urediniospores (20–29 × 14–25 μm vs. 17–20 × 18–19 μm) and larger teliospores (107–167 × 25–35 μm vs. 80–100 × 20–30 μm) (Wei 1988; Hiratsuka et al.1992; Liu et al. 2018). Phragmidium coreanicola has the same host species as P. rubi-coreani in Guiyang City. However, P. coreanicola has larger teliospores (107–167 × 25–35 μm vs. 29–74 ×14–37 µm) (Sun et al. 2022). The morphological comparison between P. coreanicola and P. pauciloculare shows that the uredinia of P. coreanicola are larger than those of P. pauciloculare (0.1–0.7 mm diam vs. 0.2–0.3 mm diam), and teliospores of P. coreanicola are also larger than those of P. pauciloculare (107–167 × 25–35 μm vs. 35–111 × 18–27 µm) (Wei 1988).

Furthermore, the ITS sequences of P. coreanicola and P. griseum exhibit significant differences, with a similarity of 87.33%. However, the LSU sequences of P. coreanicola and P. griseum have little variation, sharing a similarity of 99.38%.

Phragmidium parvifolius Q. F. Zhang, Q. Z. Wu & Q. R. Li, sp. nov.

MycoBank No: 855006
Fig. 4

Type.

China • Guizhou Province, Guiyang City, Huaxi District (26°43′27.3″N, 106°67′14.4″E), 1,114 m a.s.l., on leaves of Rubus parvifolius (Rosaceae), 3 November 2022, Q. Z. Wu and Q. F. Zhang (holotype GMB4054, isotype KUN-HKAS144250).

Etymology.

The epithet refers to the host species, Rubus parvifolius L., from which the holotype was collected.

Description.

Spermogonia , Aecia and Telia not found. Uredinia 0.3–0.8 mm diam., produced on the abaxial leaf surface, scattered to gregarious, hypophyllous, rounded to irregular, powdery, orange, pulverulent, at first covered by the epidermis, later, not surrounded by host epidermis; Urediniospores 18–32 × 12–24 μm (av. = 22 × 18 μm, n = 30), globose, oblong, orange, wall 1.1–1.7 μm thick (av. = 1.3 μm, n = 30) at sides, regularly echinulate with stout spines; germ pores 2–3, supra-equatorial. Paraphyses 49–83 × 10–19 μm (av. = 65 × 15 μm, n = 30), hyaline, curved.

Figure 4. 

Phragmidium parvifolius (Holotype, GMB4054) A–D host and its habitat E, F uredinia under a stereomicroscope G, H urediniospores and paraphyses I–L urediniospores M paraphyses. Scale bars: 1 mm (D); 0.5 mm (E, F); 10 μm (G–M).

Additional material examined.

China • Guizhou Province, Guiyang City, Huaxi District (26°43′59.7″N, 106°67′66.5″E), 1114 m a.s.l., on leaves of Rubus parvifolius (Rosaceae), 3 November 2022, Q. Z. Wu and Q. F. Zhang (GMB4070).

Notes.

Phylogenetically, P. parvifolius formed a sister branch to P. barnardii Plowr. & G. Winter (HGU21035), which was also reported on Rubus parvifolius (Fig. 1). Morphologically, P. parvifolius can be easily differentiated from P. barnardii by its larger urediniospores (18–32 × 12–24 μm vs. 16–19 × 15–18 µm) and larger paraphyses (49–83 × 10–19 μm vs. 26–39 × 10–13 µm) (Winter 1886; McTaggart et al. 2016; Sun et al. 2022). In terms of urediniospore size, P. parvifolius is similar to P. griseum (Dietel) Syd. However, P. parvifolius differs from P. griseum by having relatively larger paraphyses (49–83 × 10–19 μm vs. 34–70 × 7–16 μm) and by its host, Rubus parvifolius vs. Rubus crataegifolius (Wei 1988; Hiratsuka et al. 1992; Liu et al. 2018; Sun et al. 2024). Additionally, P. parvifolius differs from P. pauciloculare by its larger urediniospores (18–32 μm vs. 13–20 μm) (Wei 1988; Hiratsuka et al. 1992). Phragmidium parvifolius and P. kanas have the same urediniospores and paraphyses, but P. parvifolius has no teliospores, whereas P. kanas has them (Zhao et al. 2021).

Furthermore, the morphological comparison between P. parvifolius and P. coreanicola (this study) shows that the urediniospores of P. parvifolius are larger than those of P. coreanicola (18–32 μm vs. 20–29 μm), and P. parvifolius has no teliospores, whereas P. coreanicola has them. The ITS and LSU sequence similarities of P. parvifolius with P. coreanicola are 97.57% and 99.22%.

Gerwasia rubi-setchuenensis J.E. Sun, Yong Wang bis & K.D. Hyde, (2024)

Fig. 5

Host.

Rubus buergeri Miq.

Description.

Spermogonia , aecia, and telia unknown. Uredinia 0.4–1.0 mm diam., hypophyllous, pulverulent, golden, scattered, irregular, surrounded by host epidermis. Urediniospores 24–30 × 19–25 µm (av. = 27.2 × 22.3 µm, n = 30), subglobose or fusiform, inclusions golden or bright yellow; wall 1.4–2.9 µm thick (av. = 2.0 μm, n = 30), colorless, irregularly elongated verrucae.

Materials examined.

China • Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, Xishui County (28°49'38"N, 106°41'23"E), 1223 m a.s.l., on the leaves of Rubus buergeri Miq. (Rosaceae), 3 November, 2022, Q. Z. Wu and Q. F. Zhang (GMB4052); China • Guizhou Province, Zunyi City, Xishui County (28°33'43"N, 106°24'3"E), 1997 m a.s.l., on Rubus buergeri (Rosaceae), 3 November 2022, Q. Z. Wu and Q. F. Zhang (GMB4075).

Figure 5. 

Gerwasia rubi-setchuenensis (GMB4052) A–D host and its habitat E–F uredinia under the stereomicroscope G–K urediniospores. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (E–F); 10 μm (G–L).

Notes.

In the phylogram (Fig. 1), our collections (GMB4052 and GMB4075) clustered with G. rubi-setchuenensis (HGUP21168). The morphological characteristics of our specimen are consistent with the original description of G. rubi-setchuenensis, and the DNA sequence aligns with that of G. rubi-setchuenensis HGUP21168 (ITS 100%; LSU 99.67%) (Sun et al. 2024). The only difference observed between the descriptions and figure of G. rubi-setchuenensis in Sun et al. (2024) is the size of the urediniospores. The urediniospores of G. rubi-setchuenensis (GMB4075) are slightly wider than those of G. rubi-setchuenensis (HGUP21168) (19–25 μm vs. 15–22 μm). This study identifies Rubus buergeri as a new host for this fungus.

Discussion

The exploration of rust fungi in China began in the mid-19th century, and to date, over 1200 rust taxa have been documented (Zhuang et al. 1998, 2005, 2021; Zhao et al. 2022a, b; Sun et al. 2024). Molecular techniques have significantly advanced fungal species identification, but accurately identifying rust fungi remains challenging, necessitating a comprehensive approach incorporating morphology, host specificity, and phylogenetic analyses (Sun et al. 2024). In China, over 70 species of Phragmidium have been described, although numerous species remain without molecular data. According to our literature review, approximately 22 species of Phragmidium have been reported in Guizhou (Cummins 1931; Zhuang et al. 2012; Aime et al. 2018; Aime and McTaggart 2021; Zhao et al. 2021; Sun et al. 2022, 2024). These studies emphasize the critical role of integrating morphological data, host specificity, and phylogenetic insights for a comprehensive understanding and accurate identification of rust fungi.

In our investigation, three new species of Phragmidiaceae belonging to the genera Gerwasia and Phragmidium are introduced based on phylogenetic analysis of the ITS and LSU regions and morphological features. amphidasydis sp. nov., Phragmidium coreanicola sp. nov., and P. parvifolius sp. nov. infected Rubus amphidasys, Rubus coreanus, and Rubus parvifolius, respectively. The host of the P. coreanicola is the same as that of P. rubi-coreani; however, P. coreanicola has larger teliospores (107–167 × 25–35 μm vs. 29–74 ×14–37 µm), and P. rubi-coreani possesses aeciospores (Sun et al. 2022). In addition, Rubus buergeri was identified as a new host plant for Gerwasia rubi-setchuenensis. Previously, it was known only on Rubus setchuenensis (Sun et al. 2024). At the same time, we discovered some samples of Phragmidium rosae‐multiflorae Dietel, and Phragmidium potentillae (Pers.) P. Karst. Here, we provide their sequences.

The hosts of Phragmidium discussed in this study are mainly from the genus Rubus within the Rosaceae family, yet P. coreanicola represents a new species on a previously reported host, while Gerwasia rubi-setchuenensis originates from a different host. This demonstrates the host specificity and species diversity of rust fungi (Wei 1988; Zhuang et al. 2012; Yang et al. 2015; Liu et al. 2018). Investigations into the interaction between plant hosts and pathogens suggest that the variety of pathogenic fungi may stem from host-switching or cooperative coevolutionary processes. These findings prompt inquiries concerning the linkage between plant hosts and Phragmidium, as well as the evolutionary dynamics at play (Zhao et al. 2016; McTaggart et al. 2015, 2016). Addressing these inquiries necessitates further research into Phragmidium in the future.

Additional information

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Ethical statement

No ethical statement was reported.

Funding

This research was supported by the Guizhou Province Ordinary Colleges and Universities Youth Science and Technology Talent Growth Project (2021)154; the Guizhou Medical University High Level Talent Launch Fund Project (2023-058); and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31960005, 32000009).

Author contributions

Conceptualization: Qinfang Zhang, Qirui Li, and Lili Liu. Collection and morphological examinations: Qinfang Zhang, Qianzhen Wu, Yulin Ren. Molecular sequencing and phylogenetic analyses: Qinfang Zhang, Kamran Habib, Lili Liu. Specimen identification: Peng Zhao, Qirui Li. Plant identification: Qingde Long. Original draft preparation: Qinfang Zhang, Qirui Li. Review and editing, supervision: Muhammad Aijaz Ahmad, Peng Zhao, Yao Wang, Dexiang Tang, Xiangchun Shen, Qirui Li. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Author ORCIDs

Qinfang Zhang https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9408-4988

Kamran Habib https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2572-0306

Yao Wang https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1262-6700

Muhammad AIjaz Ahmad https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2798-5500

Yulin Ren https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9063-425X

Xiangchun Shen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4333-9106

Qirui Li https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8735-2890

Data availability

All the specimens are deposited in the Herbaria of Guizhou Medical University (GMB) and Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (KUN-HKAS). Sequences have been deposited in the GenBank. The alignment file can be obtained from the corresponding author.

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