Balansiae

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.)... 

Lewis WH, Elvin-Lewis M. Obstetrical use of the parasitic fungus Balansia cyperi by Amazonian Jivaro women. Econ Bot 44 131-133, 1990. 

Known teleomorphs Epichloe, Atkinsonella, Balansia, Myriogenospora, Neoclaviceps. 

Diehl WW. Balansia and the Balansiae in America. Washington, DC USDA Agriculture Monograph No. 4, 1950. 

Govindu HC, Thimmalachar MJ. Studies on some species of Ephelis and Balansia occurring in India. I. Morphological account of some species of Ephelis. Mycopathol Mycol Appl 14 189-197, 1961. 

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

White JF Jr, Owens JR. Stromal development and mating system of Balansia epichloe a leaf-colonizing endophyte of warm-season grasses. Appl Environ Microbiol 58 513-519, 1992. 

White JF Jr., Sharp LT, Martin TI, Glenn AE. Endophyte-host associations in grasses. XXI. Studies on the structure and development of Balansia obtecta. Mycologia 87 172-181, 1995. 

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... 

Species formally placed in the genus Atkinsonella are distinguished from other Balansia subgenus Eubalansia species by the occurrence of two conidial states (micro- and macroconidia). For additional descriptive data on Atkinsonella see Diehl (1950), Morgan-Jones and White (1989), Leuchtmann and Clay (1989), and Lewis et al. (Chapter 5, this volume). 

Type species Balansia aristidae (Atk.) Diehl = Dothichloe aristidae Atk. = Ophiodothis aristidae Atk. = Ophiodothis atramentosa var. 

For additional descriptive data on Balansia aristidae see Diehl (1950) and White et al. (1997). Balansia aristidae is also known as the black choke disease (Sprague, 1950). 

Loculistroma bambusae has been suggested to be a synonym of Balansia take ( = Aciculosporium take) (Patterson and Charles, 1910). However, due to the occurrence of two conidial states and differences in ascospore color, size, and shape, these two species do not appear to be synonymous. 

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). 

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. 

White JF, Reddy PV, Glenn AE, Bacon CW. An examination of structural features and relationships in Balansia subgenus Dothichloe. Mycologia 89 408-419, 1997. 

Endophytic species of Balansia tend to form stromata on culms at nodes but may also form them on inflorescences and leaves. Epibiotic species usually form stromata on inflorescences, but some form them on leaves or other organs. Myriogenospora atramentosa and M. linearis produce stromata on folded or rolled leaves (Fig. 2). The ability of these species to alter the surface of host leaves by destroying the cuticle layer may permit the fungus to extract the... 

Figure 1 Stroma of Balansia ambiens on culm of host, bar = 5 mm.

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