ORIGINAL ARTICLE Schizonella caricis-atratae (Ustilaginomycetes): a new cryptic species on Carex atrata from Austria Hansjörg Prillinger & Michael Wuczkowski & Ksenija Lopandic & Robert Bauer & Orsolya Molnár & Katja Sterflinger Received: 17 October 2008 / Revised: 26 January 2009 / Accepted: 17 February 2009 / Published online: 6 March 2009 # German Mycological Society and Springer-Verlag 2009 Abstract Based on DNA-fingerprinting, ITS-DNA se- quencing and physiological characteristics, a new species of Schizonella, Sch. caricis-atratae, is described. Sch. caricis- atratae is a so-called cryptic species, i.e. morphologically it is identical to Sch. melanogramma, but differs in physio- logical and molecular phylogenetic characters. Sch. caricis- atratae can be distinguished by the following tests: growth on myo-inositol, D,L-lactate, salicine, maltose, αmethyl-D- glucoside, butane-2,3-diol, and D-turanose, at 30°C; no growth on galactose. Sch. caricis-atratae can be isolated from Carex atrata. The type strain is HB 3, CBS 123477. Keywords DNA-fingerprinting . ITS-DNA sequencing . Schizonella caricis-atratae . Physiological characteristics Introduction Biotrophic fungi of the genus Schizonella Schröter are pathogens of the Cyperaceae (Carex, Kobresia, Isolepis). They are dimorphic with a saprophytic yeast stage and a parasitic mycelial stage on host plants. Sori are located on leaves forming black, short or long, pustulate streaks with an agglutinate spore mass. Spores usually occur in pairs. Germination is of the Ustilago type. They are classified within the Ustilaginomycetes: order Ustilaginales, family Anthracoideaceae (Denchev 1997; Begerow et al. 2006). Presently, four Schizonella species are accepted: Sch. cocconii (Morini) Liro, Sch. elynae (A. Blytt) Liro, Sch. intercedens Vánky & Nagler, and Sch. melanogramma (De Candolle) Schröter. Sch. melanogramma has an especially broad host range occuring on at least 43 different species of Carex (Vánky 1985, 1994). In the present investigation, we have examined Sch. melanogramma species from Carex atrata L., C. digitata L., C. firma Host and C. ornithopoda Willd to detect whether cryptic speciation occurs.. As already suggested by Prillinger et al. (2002), Sch. mela- nogramma (HB 3) on Carex atrata is a new species which is confirmed in the present study. Materials and methods Investigated yeast strains & Sch.melanogramma HB 3 (CBS 123477) from C. atrata collected at the top of the mountain “Schneealpe” (altitude 1,906 m), Austria, Styria 29.6.1992 leg. et det. H. Prillinger. The specimen was deposited in the Herbarium Ustilaginales Vanky as H. U.V. 21538 & Sch. melanogramma HB 188 (CBS 123478) and HB 191 (CBS 123479) from C.atrata in the top region of “Schneealpe” near “Schutzhaus”, Austria, Styria 28.6.1993 leg. et det. H. Prillinger & Sch. melanogramma HB 107 (CBS 123480) from C. digitata Rodaun, Vienna, Austria 10.5.1993 leg. et det. H. Prillinger & Sch. melanogramma HB 137 (CBS 123481) from C. digitata “Bisamberg”, Langenzersdorf, Lower Austria, Austria 12.6.1993 leg. et det. H. Prillinger Mycol Progress (2009) 8:157–164 DOI 10.1007/s11557-009-0588-2 H. Prillinger (*) : M. Wuczkowski : K. Lopandic : O. Molnár : K. Sterflinger Institut für Angewandte Mikrobiologie, ACBR, Universität für Bodenkultur, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Wien, Austria e-mail: h.prillinger@iam.boku.ac.at R. Bauer Lehrstuhl für Spezielle Botanik und Mykologie, Botanisches Institut, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 1, 72076 Tübingen, Germany