Puccinia psidii
| Puccinia psidii | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Phylum: | Basidiomycota |
| Class: | Urediniomycetes |
| Subclass: | Incertae sedis |
| Order: | Uredinales |
| Family: | Pucciniaceae |
| Genus: | Puccinia |
| Species: | Puccinia psidii |
| Binomial name | |
| Puccinia psidii | |
Puccinia psidii is a rust (a type of plant pathogen) native to Brazil with a very broad host range in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). Puccinia psidii can have very serious consequences to various species of plants in the Myrtaceae. This family includes guava (the original host of this rust in Brazil), eucalyptus, melaleuca, and a number of species native to Hawaii, including some endemic species (found nowhere else on Earth) and at least one important native forest tree. There are numerous strains of the Puccinia psidii rust—some known to be established in Florida, and at least one reported from California and there is concern that strains may exist or develop that could be devastating to ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha), one of Hawaii's dominant native trees, a foundation species for many remaining Hawaiian native ecosystems. However currently, the major threat of Puccinia in Hawaii is the massive damage it is doing to Eugenia koolauensis, a federally listed endangered species.
See also
References
External links
- 2010. Loope, Lloyd L. A Summary of Information on the Rust Puccinia psidii Winter (Guava Rust) with Emphasis on Means to Prevent Introduction of Additional Strains to Hawaii. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1082.
- Puccinia psidii species information from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)