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ISSN 1937-786X

Featured Fungus Number 32

Tilletia secalis
A bunt pathogen occuring on cultivated rye

Two bunt fungi with reticulately ornamented teliospores, Tilletia contraversa (dwarf bunt), and T. caries (common bunt), are present on wheat and rye in most of the cool and temperate growing regions of the world. In contrast, T. secalis, the rye bunt pathogen, is widespread on cultivated rye in Europe and Eurasia but there are no confirmed reports in North America. Reports of bunt on rye in North America have been attributed to T. contraversa or T. caries. The accurate identification of bunt fungi infecting wheat and rye is complicated by their overlapping host range and similar teliospore morphology. Researchers used a multilocus phylogenetic analysis to show that a bunt fungus from a stunted volunteer rye plant growing in an Idaho wheat field is genetically distinct from the wheat bunt pathogens, and may represent the first report of T. secalis in North America. To read more about this discovery, click on the accompanying photo of teliospores for the article by Carris and Castlebury [file size: 1094 kb].