First report of the mistletoe Tristerix verticillatus on Schinus fasciculatus from the Sierra de San Luis, Argentina.

AMICO, GC; NICKRENT, DL

PLANT DISEASE

AMER PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOC

Año: 2009 vol. 93 p. 317 - 317

0191-2917

There are eleven species of mistletoes in the genus Tristerix (Loranthaceae) endemic to the Andes in South America (1,2).  Tristerix verticillatus (Ruiz & Pav.) Barlow & Wiens is distributed on the east side of the Andes from Bolivia to Argentina at high elevations (> 1500 m).  On the west side of the Andes it is only found in Chile where it occurs at low to high elevations (50-3000 m).  Along its range, the mistletoe parasitizes more than 25 species, mainly Anarcadiaceae and Rhamnaceae.  In February 2007 it was observed parasitizing Schinus fasciculatus (Griseb.) I.M. Johnst. (Anacardiaceae) at two locations in the Sierra de San Luis, Argentina.  One location was 6 km south of Las Chacras on Route 31 (32° 35´ 56" S, 65° 47´ 6" W, elevation 1,185 m) and the other 12 km north of El Trapiche, on Route 9 (33° 1´ 21" S, 66° 4´ 11" W, 1,260 m elevation).  At these localities the mistletoe was in full flower and parasitized only one host species, S. fasciculatus.  No mortality associated with infection by this mistletoe was observed at either location.  Specimens of the mistletoe were collected from both locations and deposited at the Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche Herbarium (BCRU), Río Negro, Argentina.  This is the first report of Tristerix outside the Andes and extends the eastern distribution of the genus approximately 270 km.  Also, this is the first report of S. fasciculatus serving as a host for T. verticillatus as previous collections were from other species of Schinus.