Spermospora ciliata (Sprague) Deighton and Scolecotrichum graminis Fuckel on Finnish grasses


The material (c. 3770 samples) for this study was collected from planted grasslands or the borders of fields throughout• the country in 1966-1970. Collections of the Plant Pathology Department of Helsinki University were also examined. 
Spermospora ciliata (Sprague) Deighton was found on 58 grass samples involving 11 grass species, most often on Festuca rubra L., from several localities ranging from Helsinki to Lapland. 
Scolecotrichum graminis Fuckel was found on 28 grass samples involving 7 grass species, most often on Phleum pratense L., from southern Finland. 

Materials and methods

Grass samples were collected during the period between spring thaw and the first heavy snowfall in autumn from 1966 to 1970. ). Collections of the Plant Pathology Department of Helsinki University (HPP) were also examined. Conidia produced in natural infestations were examined. The slides of the fungus material were prepared from fresh grass leaves. The fungi on the slides were preserved in lactic-acid and lactophenol solutions with trypanblue. The conidia were also measured and photographed on the slides. The fungi were not grown m pure culture. 

Results and Discussion

S permospora Sprague, Mycologia 40: 177, 1948a. It is a genus of the order Moniliales and the family Moniliaceae (SPRAGUE 1948a: 177). 
Spermospora ciliata (Sprague) Deighton, Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc. 51: 44, 1968; Syn. 
S permospora subulata Sprague forma ciliata Sprague, Mycologia 41: 495, 1949; Spermospora subulata (Sprague ) Sprague,M ycologia 29 : 202,193 7; Cercosporella subulata Sprague, Mycologia 29: 202, 1937. SPRAGUE ( 1949) regards S permospora subulata f. ciliata as a morphological form of. S. subulata, whereas DEIGHTON ( 1968) regards them as distinct species. 
S. subulata was originally found on an herbarium specimen of M elica subulata ( Griseb.) Scribn. (SPRAGUE 1937). S. subulata f. ciliata was originally found on leaves of Agrostis alba L. and Calamagrostis rubescentis Buck!. (SPRAGUE 1949). The fungus has sinrP. been found on a large number of hosts e.g. on Agrostis stolonifera L., Bromus vulgaris (Hook.) Shear, D eschampsia caespitosa (L.) PB., Festuca rubra L., Phleum pratense L. and Poa trivialis L. in the USA, Canada andBritain (SPRAGUE 1950, DEIGH-TON 1968 ) as well as on Festuca rubra and Lolium perenne L. in New Zealand (LATCH 1966 ). The fungus is definitely parasitic, causing severe leaf scald, but it is never abundant ( cf. SPRAGUE 1948b, DEIGHTON 1968). It is probably of little or no economic importance on grasses ( cf. LATCH 1966). The fungus has not been previously described in Finland. In the Collections of HPP there is only one sample: leg. Putkonen on Calamagrostis epigeios (L. ) Roth. 9. VI. 1916, from Pornainen, in the province of Uusimaa (Fig. 

Spermospora


G ).

In the present study the fungus was found on 58 grass samples involving 11 grass species and from several localities ranging from Helsinki to Lapland (at Inari ) . Conidia of the fungus were found during the period between early spring (March ), and late autumn (November) . They were found least frequently in midsummer. As a rule conidia were found in small numbers. Also the material examined usually contained other fungi besides S permospora ( cf. DEIGHTON 1968 ) . 
In the present study conidia of Spermospora spp. were observed in approximately 1.5 % of the 3 770 samples examined. The 10 fungus was found most frequently (c. 16 %) on Festuca rubra at Viikki (Helsinki ) (cf. MAKELA 19 72) . Lesions were especially distinct on leaves of Festuca rubra (Fig. 2 A) in spring and autumn. They varied from small spots to lesions covering large portions of the leaves and averaged ( 1) 3 (9 ) mm long and (0.5 ) 1-2 mm wide. Lesions were umbra to dark brown-black in colour with a white centre (Fig. 2 F ) and sometimes framed with yellow tissues (Fig. 2 A ). Conidia were hyaline subulate to subulate -filiform, tapering to a whip-like distal portion which was sometimes straight, usually curved or flexuous, 13-36 fL long and about 0.3-4 fL wide (Figs. 2,3 ). Conidia narrowed gradually at the base towards the unthickened truncate hilum (Figs. 2 B, G, 3 C ). The whole conidium (about 450 examined) including the rostrum was (28 45 .7 (76 ) fL "long, (2 ) 3.9 (8 ) fL wide, (3 ) 3.9 (5 ) -septa. Material on Alopecurus pratensis had 3-septate spores (32 ) 38.7 (46 ) fL long, (3 ) 3.6 (4 ) fL wide; on Calamagrostis epigeios they were (20) 48.4 (71 ) fL long, (2 ) 4.9 (8 ) fL wide, 4 ( 5 ) -septa ; on Dactylis glomerata (35) 51.5 (76) fL long, (3 ) 3.9 (5 ) fL wide, (3 ) (3.9 ) (5 ) -septa; on D eschampsia caespitosa (30) 44.8 (55 ) fL long, (2 ) 3.2 (4) fL wide, 4-septa; and on F estuca rubra ( 28) 44.9 (65 ) fL long, (2 ) 3.9 (5 ) fL wide, (3) 3. 7 ( 5 ) -septa. The form and size of the conidia showed moderate variation between the different grasses (Figs. 2,3) . The size and the form of conidia resembled more those described by SPRAGUE ( 1948aSPRAGUE ( , b, 1949) ) than those described by DEIGH1'0N ( 1968 ) . 
In the present study conidia were in particular narrower and longer than those of the last mentioned. 

Material examined (HPP): On Agropyron repens:

U : Helsinki, Viikki 4. VI. 1968 ; EH : H iimeenlinna 25. V . 1969 ; ES : Mikkeli 21. V. 1968. 

On Agrostis tenuis:

InL: Inari 28 . VII . 1969. 
On Alopecurus pratensis: U: Helsinki, Viikki 18. XI. 1966, 20 . XI. 1969; EH: Hiimeenlinna 11. V. 1968 ; InL: Inari 17. VII. 1967, 13 . VI. 1969 (leg. Salonen ) . 

On Bromus inermis :

U: Helsinki, Viikki 22. X. 1968. 
On Calamagrostis epigeios: U: Pornainen 9. VI. 1916, leg. Putkonen; Helsinki 27. IX.1968; EH: Hiimeenlinna 4. VII. 1970. XI. 1968, D: at Inari 15. IX. 1969; E: on Alopecurus pratensis at Viikki 28 . III . 1968; F, G: on Calamagrostis epigews at Viikki 27 . IX. 1968. A, F: X 2; B, C, E: X 1000; G, D: X 2000. 
Fig. 3. Conidia of Spermospora ciliata, A: on Agrostis stolonifera at Viikki 11. XI.1967• B: on Alopecurus pratensis in Hameenlinna 11. V. 1968 ; C: on Calamagrostis epigeios, at Pomainen 9. VI. 1916; D: on Dactylis glomerata in Hameenlinna 13. IV. 1968; E: on Deschampsia caespitosa at lnari 21. VII. 1968; F: on Festuca ovina at Inari 15. IX. 1969; G-M: on Festuca rubra; G: at Viikki 17. V. 1968; H, 1: in Hameenlinna, H: 13 . IV.1968, I: 3.XI.1967; J: 
at Sodankyla 21. IX. 1966 ; K: at Kuusamo 21. IX. 1966; L, M: at lnari, L: 22. VII. 1968, M: 15. IX. 1969; N: on Phleum pratense at Inari 20. VII. 1968 ; 0, P: on Poa pratensis, 0: in Hameenlinna 11. V . 1968, P: at lnari 14. VII. 1969. 
On Dactylis glomerata: EH: Hameenlinna 3. XI. 1967, 15 . IV. 1968, 11. V. 1968 ; KP: Toholampi 10. VII. 1969. 

On Deschampsia caespitosa:

KemL: Pelkosenniemi 21. VII. 1970 (leg. Ilonoja); InL: Inari 21. VII . 1968. 

On Festuca ovina:

InL: Inari 15. IX.1969 (leg. Salonen). 
On Festuca rubra: U: Helsinki, Viikki (13 specimens), Vantaa (1 specimen); EH: Hameenlinna (6 specimens); ES: Mantyharju ( 1 specimen); .Mikkeli ( 1 specimen); 12 PH: Kivijarvi ( 1 specimen); PP: Yli-li ( 1 specimen); Ks: Kuusamo ( 1 specimen); KemL : Sodankyla (1 specimen), Kolari (1 specimen), Muonio ( 1 specimen) ; InL: lnari ( 4 specimens) ; in 196 7 -1969; HPP. 

On Phleum pratense:

U: Helsinki, Viikki 7. X. 1968; InL: lnari 20. VII. 1968. 

On Poa pratensis:

U: Hyryla 14. VII. 1970 ; EH: Hameenlinna 11. V.1968; InL: lnari 22. VII.1968, 13.VI.1969, 14. \II. 1969 (leg. Salonen.). Fuckel, Fungi Rhenani Exsiccati, Hedwigia 2 : 134, 1863;Saccardo, Syll. Fung IV: 34 7-348, 1886 ;Syn. Passalora graminis (Fuckel) v. Hi:ihnel, Centralbl. Bakt. Abt. 2, 60 : 1-9, 1923(cf. SPRAGUE 1950: 427-428). 

Scolecotrichum gramznzs

The fungus is the cau.sal agent of a foliar disease of numerous grasses (about 160 species) throughout the world and particularly in Europe and the United States (LrnnAu 1907: 795, SPRAGUE 1950, BRAVERMAN 1958 ) . Included in the host range are many forage species especially Phleum pratense L. and Dactylis glomerata L. (BucHOLTZ 1902, ERIKSSON 1910, MoRTENSEN et al. 1911, LIND 1913, JoHNSON & HuNGERFORD 1917, DENNIS & FoiSTER 1941-42, J0RSTAD 1945, SPRAGUE 1950, RoBERTS et al. 1955, WENHAM & LATCH 1958, ELLIOTT 1962). Sometimes S . graminis may be one of the most important of the pathogens which produce leaf spots on the grasses above mentioned (MELCHERS 1925, BRUMMER 193 7, SAMPSON & WESTERN 1942, SPRAGUE 1950) . In many regions the fungus is less serious and develops saprophytically on many hosts on which it is only mildly parasitic (J0RSTAD 1930, 1945, SPRAGUE 1950, ULIOTT 1962, LATCH 1966 ) . Morphological variants of the fungus occur (SPRAGUE 1950) as well as variants which differ in pathogenicity (BRAVER-MAN 1958, GRAHAM et a!. 1963) . 
In Finland the fungus has been known to occur on Phleum pratense L. In the present study the fungus was found on 20 grass samples involving 4 grass species from only a few localities. Conidia of the fungus were found during the period between early spring (April) and late autumn (October ) . In midsummer, its occurrence was infrequent (cf. BucHOLTZ 1902, BRUMMER 193 7). As a rule, the fungus was found in small numbers. 
On grass leaves the fungus produces grey -greyish to orange -oak brown elongated streaks having golden yellow -apricot to bronze-brown borders in whioh the olive black tufts of conidiophores develop in parallel rows as minute dots along the surface (Fig. 4 A ) . The conidiophores were (50-150 X 5-10 [l ) fasciculate, olive black, unbranched, irregular or slightly geniculate, sometimes thickened on the tip (Fig. 4 B, D, E ) . They may grow from little brown black, subepidermal stroma, especially in spring (Fig. 4 D,E ) (d. BRAVERMAN 1958 ) . Conidia were light olive grey, elongate, bottle-shaped, base broadly rounded with prominent hilum (Fig. 4 B, C, F ) . The size of the conidia (about 200 examined ) on Alo pecurus geniculatus L., Phleum pratense L. and P. alpinum L. averaged (16 ) 37.9 (56) [!long, (4) 9. 3 ( 12 ) fl wide and had ( 1 ) 2 ( 3 ) -septa. The size of conidia was nearly the same as in SPRAGUE's (1950) material, but longer than those described by LINDAU (1907: 795) andBRUMMER (1937 ). Size and morphology of conidiophores, conidia and spores of isolates from different grasses did not differ signific-antJly (of. BRAVERMAN 1958 ) . However, according to SPRAGUE ( 1950) morphologi' cal variants have been found, but whether tlhey are anything more than variations due to host and humidity is not known. 

Material examined (HPP):

On Alopecurus geniculatus: 
V : Parainen 18. VI. 1910, !egg. Liro & Linkola; U : Helsinki 13. X . 1970 ;St: Peipohja 15. V . 1968, 27 . VI. 1968. On Alopecurus pratensis: U: Helsinki . 5. VI. 1967; ES: Mikkeli 28. VI. 1968 . On Dactylis glomerata: 
St: Peipohja 15. V. 1968. 
On Glyceria fluitans: U: Espoo 23 . VII. 1923, !egg. Liro & Aalto-Setala. 
On Glyceria remota: 
U: Pemaja 23 . VII. 1908, !egg. Liro & Ryselin. 
On Phleum alpinum: Ks: Kuusamo 17 . VII.1931, !egg. Liro & Heikinheimo. 
On Phleum pratense: U: Tammisto 1934 (4 specimens), leg. Brummer. 
V: Mietoinen ( 3 specimens) ; U: Helsinki ( 3 specimens), Vihti 15. VIII. 1968; EH: Hameen-Iinna ( 4 specimens), Iitti (2 specimens); St: Peipohja 15. V. 1968; ES : Mikkeli 14. X . 1968; in 1966-1968, HPP. 1969, C: 11. V . 1968; D: at Mietoinen 30. XI.1968 ; E, F: on Alop ecums geniculatus at Peipohja 27 . VI. 1968. A: X 1 Y2, B: X 1000 ; C, F : X 2000 ; D: X 500; E: X 100. 

ScolecotrichumFig. 1 .

 1 Fig. 1. Original of the material. 




  Fig. 2. Spermospora ciliata, A-D: on Festuca rubra, A-C: at Hameenlinna, B: 11.V. 1968V. , C: 3. XI. 1968, D: at Inari 15.IX. 1969; E: on Alopecurus pratensis at Viikki 28 .III . 1968; F, G: on Calamagrostis epigews at Viikki 27 .IX. 1968. A, F: X 2; B, C, E: X 1000; G, D: X 2000. 


FFFig. 4 .

 4 Fig. 4. Scolecotrichum graminis, A-D: on Phleum pratense, B, C : at H ameenlinna, B: 31.X. 1969, C: 11. V . 1968; D: at Mietoinen 30.XI.1968 ; E, F: on Alop ecums geniculatus at Pei-
Spermospora ciliata (Sprague) Deighton and Scolecotrichum graminis Fuckel on Finnish grasses