Diversidade de ferrugens (Pucciniales) no Nordeste Brasileiro

Abstract

Rusts are plant diseases caused by fungi of the order Pucciniales, subphylum Pucciniomycota and phylum Basidiomycota. They are named rusts due to the yellow lesions with a ferruginous aspect that constitute the reproductive structures produced by some of the most common species. This study aimed at investigating the diversity of rust fungi in the Brazilian Northeast by means of morphological characters. Plant samples containing symptoms and signs of rust fungi were collected in five conservation areas of the Northeast region. In a brief literature review about the rusts of the Northeast region, 141 species distributed in 28 genera and 9 families were found. In the field surveys, 50 host plants were examined and 41 rust species were identified. These species represent 12 genera (one anamorph and 11 teleomorphs), with one new record for Brazil and 15 new records for the Northeast. These new records expand the knowledge on the diversity and distribution of rust fungi in the Brazilian Northeast.