Fungalpedia – Note 3219, Sporisorium

 

Sporisorium. Ehrenb.

Citation when using this data: Jayawardena RS et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank

Classification: Ustilaginaceae, Ustilaginales, Ustilaginomycetidae, Ustilaginomycetes, Ustilaginomycotina, Basidiomycota, Fungi

Sporisorium is a grass–infecting genus of smut fungi. It is characterized by sori formed in different parts of the inflorescence or destroying the entire inflorescence, sometimes also comprising the upper part of the stem. The sori are initially enclosed by a thick, brownish peridium that later ruptures irregularly exposing a single, stout columella surrounded by a mass of spores and sterile cells. Until ten years ago, with 326 species Sporisorium was perceived by far the most species–rich genus of smut fungi. A new concept for Ustilago, Sporisorium, and Macalpinomyces was proposed by McTaggart et al. (2012a, b). In its modern circumscription, Sporisorium comprises 198 species (Vánky 2011, 2013; Denchev et al. 2012, 2016; McTaggart et al. 2012b; Denchev and Denchev 2013, 2016; Wang et al. 2015). During an examination of specimens of grasses in the herbarium MA of the Real Jardín Botánico (Madrid, Spain), a smut fungus belonging to Sporisorium was found on a specimen of Anadelphia leptocoma (MA 690545) from Burkina Faso. Based on distinct morphology and phylogenetic evidence (Jayawardena RS et al. 2023), this fungus is introduced here as a novel species.

Type species: Sporisorium sorghi Ehrenb. ex Link, in Willdenow, Sp. pl., Edn 4 6(2): 86 (1825)

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Sporisorium.

 

References

 

Denchev CM, Denchev TT 2013 – Erratomycetaceae, fam. nov., and validation of some names of smut fungi recently described from India. Mycobiota 1:63–70.

Denchev TT, Denchev CM 2016 – Anthracocystis rhytachnes-rottboellioidis and A. urelytri, two new combinations of smut fungi (Ustilaginales) from Africa. Phytotaxa 253:227–231.

Denchev CM, Fiaz M, Denchev TT, Ahmad H, Khalid AN 2012 – Additions to the smut fungi of Pakistan. 1. Mycotaxon 121:165–170.

Denchev TT, Sun H, Denchev CM, Boufford DE 2016 – A new smut fungus on a new grass: Sporisorium capillipedii-alpini (Ustilaginales) sp. nov. infecting Capillipedium alpinum (Poaceae) sp. nov., from Sichuan. China Phytotaxa 252:217–227.

Jayawardena RS, Hyde KD, Wang S et al. Fungal diversity notes 1512–1610: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa. Fungal Diversity 117, 1–272.

McTaggart AR, Shivas RG, Geering ADW, Callaghan B, Vanky K, Scharaschkin T 2012a – Soral synapomorphies are significant for the systematics of the Ustilago–Sporisorium–Macalpinomyces complex (Ustilaginaceae). Persoonia 29:63–77.

McTaggart AR, Shivas RG, Geering ADW, Vanky K, Scharaschkin T 2012b – Taxonomic revision of Ustilago, Sporisorium and Macalpinomyces. Persoonia 29:116–132.

Vánky K 2011 – [‘2012’] Smut fungi of the world. APS Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Vánky K 2013 – Sporisorium emariae sp. nov. (Ustilaginomycetes) on Sclerachne punctata (Poaceae). Mycobiota 1:57–61.

Wang Q-M, Begerow D, Groenewald M, Liu X-Z, Theelen B, Ba F-Y, Boekhout T 2015 – Multigene phylogeny and taxonomic revision of yeasts and related fungi in the Ustilaginomycotina. Stud Mycol 81:55–83.

 

Entry by

Jayawardena Ruvishika Shehali, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand

 

Published online 28 September 2026

 

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