Fungalpedia – Note 963, Alternaria

 

Alternaria Nees

Citation when using this data: Brahmanage RS et al. 2020 (in prep.) – Fungalpedia, Ascomycota.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1

Classification: Pleosporaceae, Pleosporales, Pleosporomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi

Nees (1816) introduced Alternaria based on A. tenuis as the only species. Later the type specimen of Torula alternata Fr. 1832 was identified by Simmons as synonymous with Nees (1816) description of A. tenuis; therefore, he declared A. alternata as the type for the genus (Simmons 1967). Alternaria species can be saprobes or pathogens on vegetation and often found on soil, air, dust and water-damaged buildings (Ellis 1971, Ellis & Sinclair 1976, Runa et al. 2009, Woudenberg et al. 2013, Lawrence et al. 2016). Some species have been described from polypropylene, rubber, fluorine plastics and jet fuel (Sheridan & Soteros 1974, Lugauskas et al. 2003, Al Ghafri et al. 2019). However, the majority of species are pathogens, infecting number of host species, including major greenhouse and field crops such as carrot, cucurbits, date, palm, tomato, tobacco and wheat (Al-Nadabi et al. 2018, Jayawardena et al. 2019a). Other species of Alternaria have been reported as food spoilers and postharvest pathogens that contaminate cereals, fruit and nuts (Pitt & Hocking 1997, Andersen & Hollensted 2008, Lawrence et al. 2016, Al Ghafriet al. 2019).

Type species: Alternaria tenuis Nees, Syst. Pilze (Würzburg): 72 (1816) [1816-17].

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Alternaria.

 

image

 

Figure 1 – Alternaria rumicis (MFLU 20-0396, holotype). a, b Ascomata on host surface. c Vertical section through an ascoma. d Peridium. f-h Asci. i-k Ascospores. l Culture on PDA (upper view). Scale bars: c = 100 µm, e-i = 50 µm, d, j, k = 20 µm.

 

References

Al Ghafri AB, Maharachchikumbura SS, Hyde KD, Al-Saady NA, Al-Sadi AM. 2019 – A new section and a new species of Alternaria encountered from Oman. Phytotaxa 405, 279–89.

Al-Nadabi HH, Maharachchikumbura SS, Agrama H, Al-Azri M et al. 2018 – Molecular characterization and pathogenicity of Alternaria species on wheat and date palms in Oman. European journal of plant pathology 152, 577–88.

Andersen B, Hollensted M. 2008 – Metabolite production by different Ulocladium species. International journal of food microbiology. 126, 172–9.

Ellis MB. 1971 – Dematiaceous hyphomycetes. Dematiaceous hyphomycetes. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Commonwealth Mycological Institute, UK, pp. 608. 

Ellis MA, Sinclair JB. 1976 – Effect of benomyl field sprays on internally-borne fungi, germination, and emergence of late-harvested soybean seeds. Phytopathology 66, 680–2.

Jayawardena RS, Hyde KD, Mckenzie EHC, Jeewon R et al. 2019a – One stop shop III: taxonomic update with molecular phylogeny for important phytopathogenic genera: 51-75. Fungal Diversity 98, 77–160.

Lawrence DP, Rotondo F, Gannibal PB. 2016 – Biodiversity and taxonomy of the pleomorphic genus Alternaria. Mycological progress 15, 1–22.

Lugauskas A, Levinskait L, Pečiulyt D. 2003 – Micromycetes as deterioration agents of polymeric materials. International biodeterioration & biodegradation 52, 233–42.

Nees von Esenbeck CG. 1816 – Das system der pilze und schwämme. Würzburg: Stahelsche Buchhandlung 17.

Runa F, Park MS, Pryor BM. 2009 – Ulocladium systematics revisited: phylogeny and taxonomic status. Mycological progress 1, 8–35.

Sheridan JE, Soteros JJ. 1974 – A survey of fungi in jet aircraft fuel systems in New Zealand. survey of fungi in jet aircraft fuel systems in New Zealand. International biodeterioration bulletin 10, 105–107.

Simmons EG. 1967 – Typification of Alternaria, Stemphylium, and Ulocladium. Mycologia, 59(1), 67–92.

Woudenberg JHC, Groenewald JZ, Binder M, Crous PW. 2013 – Alternaria redefined. Studies in Mycology 75, 171–212.

 

Entry by

Rashika S. Brahmanage, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand, Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, People’s Republic of China, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand

 

Published online 29 September 2020

Back to Glossary Index Page