First report of Puccinia xanthii Schw. causing rust on Xanthium strumarium L. in India

Abstract

Rust symptoms were observed in the matured leaves of Xanthium strumarium L. plants near paddy fields in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, India. The teliospores were observed under microscope and their morphological characters were studied. To further confirm the identity of the pathogen, the spores were collected in sterile distilled water and DNA was extracted using CTAB method. The phylogeny analysis revealed that the pathogen observed was Puccinia xanthii Schw. The pathogen was closely related to other isolates of Puccina xanthii Schw. reported from X. oriantale from Okcheon-gun, Korea. This is the first report of Puccinia xanthii Schw. in Xanthium strumarium L. reported in India.