PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON DISTRIBUTION OF PHYLLACHORA ON POACEAE

In this study we collected and identified species of Phyllachora on grasses from mid-continent United States grasslands and from the pampa of Argentina to determine distribution of the fungi and hosts. Eight species of Phyllachora were collected on thirty-six different grass species from mid-continent United States grasslands, with P. luteomaculata on Andropogon gerardii the most frequently collected species. Eight species of Phyllachora have been identified on eleven different species of grasses from the pampa of Argentina. P. minutissima on species of Paspalum was the most frequently collected species from the pampa. All Phyllachora species and hosts are new records for Argentina. P. cynodontis, P. eragrostidis, P. luteo-maculata and P. vulgata were collected from both countries. Muhlenbergia and Paspalum were hosts in both North America and South America, but all North American host species were different from South American host species.