Balansia claviceps

Pig. 138.—A, Balansia claviceps on ear oi Paspalum B-L, Claviceps Purpurea E, sclerotium C, sclerotium with Sphacelia D, cross-section of sphacelial layer E, sprouting sclerotium F, head of stroma from sclerotium G, section of same H, section of perithecium /, ascus K, germinating ascospore C, conidiospores produced on mycelium. (5ee Die natilrlicken PftanzenfamiHen I, r, p. 371.)... 

Ullasa BA. Balansia claviceps in artificial culture. Mycologia 61 572-579, 1969. 

Type species Balansia claviceps Speg. = Balansia trinitensis Cke. Mass. = Claviceps philippii Rehm. 

Several different species of Asian and American Balansia are often misidentified as B. claviceps. Balansia claviceps may be distinguished from all similar species because it is limited to the Americas, is endophytic, and produces... 

Reddy PV, Bergen MS, Patel R, White IF Jr. An examination of molecular phylogeny and morphology of the grass endophyte Balansia claviceps and similar species. Mycologia 90(1) 117-180, 1998. 

Rehm (1889) described a collection from Mergui, Chile, although the host was not identified. Sclerotia are 2-2.5 cm long, black, subcylindrical, developing within infected caryopses and on the inside of leaf sheaths. Stromata are stipitate, scabrous, and capitate. Capitula are 0.3-1 mm in diameter. Asci are 120-150 X 6 pm with ascospores of 120 X 1 pm. Rehm (1898) later identified C. philippi as a synonym of Balansia claviceps. The synonymy was confirmed by Diehl (1950). 

Acremonium coenophialum Acremonium sp. Balansia claviceps B. cyperi... 

Balansia epichloe and Balansia claviceps (Clavicipitaceae). /. Nat. Prod., 42, 3, 309-314. 

Sullivan et al. (2001) hypothesized that Neoclaviceps monostripa is an evolutionary intermediate of genera Balansia and Claviceps. Morphologically, the conidial state resembles that of the genus Balansia. Neoclaviceps resembles Claviceps in its infection of individual florets and its production of stipitate stromata. Recently, John Walker has indicated that the Australian Claviceps phalaridis possesses a conidial state that is similar to that of N. monostipa (John Walker, personal communication, 2001). 

In 1885 Spegazzini described the close relationship between Balansia and Claviceps Tul, but decided to separate the two genera. Our analysis supports Spegazzini s decision, showing a clear separation of Claviceps from Balansia and Epichloe. Diehl (1950) placed Epichloe and Balansia in tribe Balansieae. This grouping is not supported in our analysis. 

Henning (1904) believed there were sufficient differences between Balansia diadema and other Balansia species in terms of the sclerotium, conidial formation, etc., that it should be accommodated in a separate genus, Balansiella Henning. Balansiella, however, has been incorporated into the genus Claviceps and is not currently recognized. Based on Mollers (1901) characterization of B. diadema, it appears to be more closely aligned with Balansia than Claviceps, and should be referred to as B. diadema Moller until further study justifies its placement elsewhere. 

Diehl (1950) examined collections from Ichanathus species, which he believed to be conspecific with B. diadema Moller. The fungus from Ichanathus produced a sphacelium and was therefore a Claviceps. However, Moller (1901) clearly noted the absence of conidial fructification associated with the hypothallus in his description of B. diadema from a Panicum species. Diehl (1950) justified the synonymy on the assumption that Moller may have missed the conidia. This is not likely, since Moller specifically mentions looking for conidia both in situ and in culture. Given the detail found in his descriptions and technical drawings, I believe he would have seen conidia had they been there. Thus, the material examined by Diehl represents a species of Claviceps distinct from B. diadema Moll, and is therefore proposed as a new combination C. diadema Diehl, and C. diadema (Moller) Diehl is considered a synonym of Balansia diadema Moller. 

The systemic nature of C. phalaridis is not typical of Claviceps. Walker (1970) and Uecker (1980) suggested C. phalaridis should be considered a Balansia, although the systemic nature of infection would be more characteristic of Epichloe than Balansia. However, phylogenetic analysis of 5.8S rDNA and ITS1 and ITS2 spacers by Pazoutova (2001) clearly place it within Claviceps. 

Kuldau et al. (1997) conducted phylogenetic studies of clavicipitacean fungi and identified five clades, one including species of Atkinsonella, Balansia, and Myriogenospora (the Ephelis clade ), and others whose asexual conidia are enteroblastic (Sphacelia Lev., Sphacelia-like, or Neotyphodium), such as species of Claviceps, Cordyceps (Fr.) Link and Epichloe. 

Figure7 Neighbor joining phylogeny based on a partial dmaW alignment of DNA sequences from ergot alkaloid producing Neotyphodium, Balansia, and Claviceps species.

There are a number of species with either primitive characters or characters intermediary between Balansiae and Claviceps. Some of the descriptions originate from the nineteenth century and are not easily available, therefore I will give them in details (Fig. 4). 

Moller (1901) first described Claviceps diadema as belonging to Balansia because of its loosely woven sclerotium, although the asexual fructification was more of sphacelial type (Fig. 4e). Therefore Diehl (1950) transferred this species into genus Claviceps. Moller observed that one or two neighboring Panicum spikelets were overgrown by hyphal mass. Structure of glumes was not destroyed... 

Numerous clavicipitaceous fungi, including some members of the genera Claviceps, Epichloe (and their closely related Neotyphodium anamorphs), and Balansia, produce ergot alkaloids. These fungi typically occur as pathogens or... 

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