CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF CERCOSPOROID FUNGI IN IRAN

Cercosporoid fungi including the genus Cercospora and other morphologically similar genera are important pathogens causing leaf spots on a wide range of host plants. In a taxonomic study on cercosporoid fungi, plants with leaf spot symptoms from different localities of Mazandaran province were collected and examined during spring-autumn 2011-12. As the result, Cercospora hostae (on Hosta albomarginata), Pseudocercospora cydoniae (on Chaenomeles japonica) and Stigmina palmivora (on Washingtonia robusta and Phoenix canariensis) are reported here as new records for Iran. Hibiscus syriacus is a new host for Cercospora althaeina. Furthermore, Cercospora apii s. lat. is identified on 13 host plants including 6 new hosts in the world and 5 new hosts in Iran.