NOTES ON HYPHOMYCETES - 74 - CONCERNING PARASTENELLA-MAGNOLIAE, ITS PHYLOGENETIC AFFINITY, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IT AND ITS HOST, MAGNOLIA-GRANDIFLORA

Parastenella magnoliae (Weedon) J.C. David, previously reported as gro wing entirely superficially on leaves of Magnolia grandiflora L., is s hown to penetrate leaves through stomata. Its hyphae are reported to s pread intercellularly into leaf mesophyll and to aggregate in substoma tal cavities to form loose stromatic tissue, The fungus, which is comm on in the southeastern United States, causes blotchy chlorotic discolo ration of the adaxial leaf surface and may cause premature leaf drop. Comments are made on its taxonomy and probable phylogenetic affinities .