A NEW OPHIOSTOMATOID GENUS FROM PROTEA INFRUCTESCENCES

In recent years, two unusual ophiostomatoid fungi, Ceratocystiopsis pr oteae and Ophiostoma capense, have been described from infructescences of Protea spp. They are unique in having Knoxdaviesia anamorphs and d iffer from each other in ascospore morphology. Both species are sensit ive to cycloheximide, typical of Ceratocystis s. s. In this study, RFL P analyses were done on the rRNA operon regions of the type species of Ceratocystis, Ophiostoma and Ceratocystiopsis as well as C. proteae a nd O. capense using the restriction enzymes Eco RI, Hae II, Pst I, Sal I, Sma I and Xba I. By constructing restriction maps, phylogenetic re lationships between these species were determined. From the data, it w as evident that C. proteae and O. capense are phylogenetically unrelat ed to both Ceratocystis and Ophiostoma, but showed a closer affinity t o Ceratocystis than to Ophiostoma. Based on the RFLP analyses, cyclohe ximide sensitivity, cell saccharides, and anamorph morphology, a new g enus, Gondwanamyces, is established to accommodate these two unusual f ungi.