Lomatia ferruginea (Proteaceae) a hotspot of Ascomycetes diversity?

BIANCHINOTTI, MARÍA VIRGINIA

Melle

Conferencia; Mellasco International Ascomycota Foray; 2011

ASCOFRANCE-SMMA

The Proteaceae is a large and interesting family of plants that is restricted to the Southern Hemisphere and considered a relict group from Gondwana. It includes at least fourteen taxa with transoceanic links (Barker et al. 2007). Currently, there is a great interest in the biodiversity of fungi associated with Proteaceae (Taylor et al. 2001). They are now being intensively studied in several regions of the world. The importance of these studies is recognized not only from a mycological point of view but also in relation to biogeography, ecology and conservation of diversity (Hyde et al. 2007). Despite some individual attempts (viz. Bianchinotti et al. 2003), the knowledge of fungi associated with Proteaceae in southern South America is still extremely poor,  and intensive studies of fungal diversity, although necessary, have up to now not be undertaken. Many unique fungi have been recorded from Proteaceae hosts, especially foliicolous pathogenic microfungi. South African Proteaceae have been particularly well studied, as have been the fungi on members in Kenya and Malawi.So we selected the genus Lomatia to begin studies of biodiversity of micromicetes because it is the best represented genus of  Proteaceae in southern South America. Lomatia is a genus of 12 species which present a disjunct distribution among the East of  Australia including Tasmania and South America: Chile, Argentina, Perú and Ecuador. In America it is represented by 3 three species: L. dentata, L. hirsuta and L. ferruginea.  The three possess ornamental value and strongly differ in leaves´ features. Lomatia dentata and L. ferruginea are endemic to the Andean Patagonic forests. The results of our findings on L. ferruginea are presented along with a comparison on the numbers and diversity data on this and other proteaceous hosts.