Abstract:
Botryosphaeriaceae represents an important and diverse family of latent fungal pathogens of
woody plants. We address the question of host range of these fungi by sampling leaves and
branches of four native South African trees, including Acacia karroo (Fabaceae), Celtis africana
(Cannabaceae), Searsia lancea (Anacardiaceae), and Gymnosporia buxifolia (Celastraceae).Twonew
species of the Botryosphaeriaceae, namely Tiarosporella africana sp. nov. and Aplosporella javeedii
sp. nov. were identified, together with fiveknown species, including Neofusicoccum parvum,
Neofusicoccum kwambonambiense, Spencermartinsia viticola, Diplodia pseudoseriata, and Botryosphaeria
dothidea. Most Botryosphaeriaceae occurred on more than one host. With the exception
of S. lancea, which was infected by A. javeedii all the hosts were infected by more than one Botryosphaeriaceae
species. Collectively, the results suggest that some intrinsic host factors,
possibly combined with local environmental conditions, affect the distribution and co-infectivity
of various hosts by the Botryosphaeriaceae. This would counteract the general ability of
a species in the Botryosphaeriaceae to infect a broad range of plants. The combination of host
and environmental factors might also explain why some Botryosphaeriaceae with apparently
broad host ranges, are found on different suites of hosts in different areas of the world.
