A New Distribution Record of False Smut (Graphiola phoenicis) of Phoenix sylvestris from Telangana, India
Authors: Madappa Mahesh 1, Pullabhotla V S R N Sarma 2, Chalasani Danteswari 2*, Shivannegowda Mahadevakumar 3* Siddaiah Chandranayaka 1 and Kandikere Ramaiah Sridhar 4
1 Department of Studies in Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru-570 006, Karnataka, India
2 School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500 046, Telangana, India
3 Botanical Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Haddo-744 102, Port Blair, South Andaman
4 Central Research Laboratory, NITTE (Deemed to be University), K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore-575 018, Karnataka, India
*Email: chantubt@gmail.com / mahadevakumars@gmail.com,
Abstract
A distinctive occurrence of false smut disease was recorded on Phoenix sylvestris within the campus of Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Telangana, India. The morphological features, supported by light and scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the causal agent as Graphiola phoenicis, an obligate foliar pathogen of the family Arecaceae. This study constitutes a new distribution record of G. phoenicis associated with Phoenix sylvestris in Telangana State, India. Further, the present findings extend the documented geographical range of false smut disease in India to include additional occurrences from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the pathogen’s distribution and host association across diverse ecological zones.
Keywords: Biotroph, False smut, Obligate foliar pathogen, Phylogeny, Silver date palm, Taxonomy
Document Type: Original Article
Citation: Mahesh, M., Sarma, P. V. S. R. N., Danteswari, C., Mahadevakumar, S., Chandranayaka, S. and Sridhar, K. R. (2025) A new distribution record of false smut (Graphiola phoenicis) of Phoenix sylvestris from Telangana, India. Mycological Spectrum 1(2): 53-65.
Received: 09 July 2025 | Accepted: 13 August 2025 | Published: 24 August 2025.
Handling Editor: Dr. Shilpa Verekar | Reviewer: Dr. H Rajashekar and Dr. A.S. Savitha.
Copyright: ©2025 Mahesh, Sharma, Danteswari, Mahadevakumar, Chandranayaka & Sridhar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution, or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution, or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
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