Bothriochloa grasses

C. bothriochloae was described byTanda and Murayama (1992), based on a collection from Bothriochloae parviflora Ohwi from Japan. The sclerotia are 1.9-5.6 X 0.5-1.1 mm and dark brown or dark purple. Stipe and capitula are sulfur-colored. Capitula are 0.5-0.9 X 0.6-1.1 pm. Perithecia are 170-203 pm with ascospores of 71-104 pm. Conidia are elliptical or oval, 2.6-5.9 X 1.8-3.2 pm. In inoculation experiments no infections were seen on 19 species of cereals and grasses. Tests for ergot alkaloids were reported as obscure positive (Tanda and Murayama, 1992). 

In southern Asia, the Andropogoneae (Sorghum, Zea, Saccharum, Bothriochloa, Imperata) developed from some C4 ancestor and rapidly occupied savanna habitats and dry open woodlands. It is supposed that this occurred some 25-30% Mya (million years ago). Andropogonoid species form 30-40% of all grass species in India and Africa. The transfer of Andropogoneae to America probably occurred via southern Europe, before their separation in the Tertiary period while they probably reached Australia via island chains. 

Chamaecynane type (223) was first encountered with the characterization of C]4 sesquiterpenes - e.g., dehydrochamaecynenol (232) from Chamaecyparis formosensis (14). Some half dozen compounds with this stereochemistry are known at present and all of these are C14 compounds isolated from C formosensis. The other cis fused type, 224, was uncovered with the structure elucidation of (+)-occidentalol (233), isolated from the heartwood of Thuja occidentalis (368). The aromatic compound occidol (234) co-occurs with occidentalol in the Thuja wood. Several compounds of intermedeane type (225) are known at present and some of these have been isolated from woody tissues. Intermedeol (235) itself was first isolated from the Indian race of the grass Bothriochloa intermedia (95). (-)-Callitrisin (236) is a constituent of Callitris columellaris heartwood (59, 158). 

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