Reporting a new mountain-dwelling rust species from Central Alborz (Iran)

Topography has a great influence on flora and mycobiota of high-altitude regions. Iran is one of the most diverse countries in Western Asia having mountainous regions with several peaks above 4000 meters across the country. Flora and mycobiota of high altitude environments are specific because of living conditions and microclimate at high elevations. During recent botanical survey in Central Alborz mountain range a specimen of Noccaea stenocarpa (Boiss.) Al-Shehbaz (Brassicaceae) was collected from elevation of 2650 m. Almost all the leaves on collected plants were infected by an unknown Puccinia species with the following morphological features: Telia small, round, exposed, chestnut-brown, compact, mainly hypophullous, covering almost the whole leaf surface, occasionally on upper side of leaves. Teliospores two-celled, 30–50 × 11–19 µm, clavate, oblong-clavate, ellipsoid or oblong-ellipsoid, attenuated above and below, sometimes round or notched at apex, constricted at septum, wall smooth, hyaline to yellowish-brown, mostly darker at apex, 1–1.5 µm at sides, 2–6 µm at apex, pedicel hyaline, persistent up to 65 µm long (Fig. 1). These morphological features fit well with the earlier description of Puccinia thlaspeos Ficinus & C. Schub. (Ulyanishchev 1978). Puccinia thlaspeos is a Lepto-Puccinia, which means teliospores germinating in sori during the growing season. As this rust accompanying its host mostly in high-altitude environments, it should be considered as a montane rust (Abbasi & Hedjaroude 2002). To our knowledge this is the first report of P. thlaspeos from Iran. Material examined: Iran: Alborz province, Karaj-Chalus road, Dizin road, Varang Rud, on Noccaea stenocarpa (Brassicaceae), 2650 m, 24.5.2020, leg. A.H. Pahlevani (IRAN77285), III.