Urocystis piptatheri N.S. Afshan, A. Anwar, M. Riaz, Sirajuddin & A. N. Khalid, 2020

Urocystis piptatheri N.S. Afshan, A. Anwar, M. Riaz, Sirajuddin & A. N. Khalid , sp. nov. ( Figs 3, 4, 5) MycoBank No.: MB834815

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the host genus Piptatherum .

Holotype:— PAKISTAN. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: Malakand division, District Dir Upper, Kumrat Valley , 2359 m.a.s.l, 29 October 2017, Ayesha Anwar, PUP Bot.202 (isotype LAH36390 ) GenBank accession numbers MT073413 (ITS), MT073414 (LSU).

Diagnosis:— Differs from other species of Urocystis by size of spore balls, size and number of central spores, spore wall thickness, infection pattern and by the host plant species.

Sori on leaves as long striae between the veins, initially covered by the epidermis which ruptures longitudinally exposing the dark black powdery mass of spore balls; spore balls subglobose, ovoid to irregular, light brown to dark brown, 24–45 × 17–36 µm, wall dark brown, 1–3 µm thick, composed of 1–4(–5) central spores, completely invested by layer of sterile cells; spore [n/b/p] [40/2/2] 15–22(–24.8) × 11–18 µm, globose to subglobose, dark brown to light yellowish brown, wall light brown to dark brown,1–2 µm thick; sterile cells subglobose, ovoid to irregular, 5.4–12.3 × 2.0–7.9 µm, pale yellowish brown, smooth.

Host and distribution:–– On Poaceae : Piptatherum laterale ; Kumrat Valley , Pakistan. Known only from the type locality.

Additional material examined:— PAKISTAN. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: District Dir Upper, Kumrat Valley, 2359 m.a.s.l, 15 July 2019, Maria Riaz RMS01 (LAH36390), GenBank accession numbers MT073413 (ITS).