Anomalomyces panici, new genus and species of Ustilaginomycetes from Australia

A new genus, Anomalomyces, is proposed to accommodate a peculiar, new smut fungus, A. panici, collected in Australia, on Panicum trachyrhachis. The new species shares some characteristics of both Sporisorium and Macalpinomyces, but is also unique in possessing two types of sterile cells. Anomalomyces is compared morphologically to the genera Ustilago, Sporisorium, and Macalpinomyces. Its relation to these genera is shown also by molecular analyses of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences. The problems of generic delimitation in this large group of smut fungi are discussed