First report of Puccinia bornmuelleri causing rust disease of lovage in Poland

Lovage (Levisticum officinale, Apiaceae), originating from Iran and Afghanistan, is cultivated as a seasoning plant in home gardens and commercial fields in Poland. In June 2006 uredinia were observed on the leaves of lovage in Potok Stany village near Kraśnik (Lublin Province, Southeast Poland). In 2007 further collections of lovage with uredinia and telia were made in the same locality. Spermogonia and aecia have not been found. Uredinia were hypophyllous, golden brown, small (about 0.5–1.0 mm in diameter), sometimes formed in circular groups, first covered by epidermis, later exposed and surrounded with a yellowish halo (Figs. 1A, 1B, 2A). Urediniospores were globoid, ellipsoid or obovoid: 28–32 x 22–26 µm, the wall 1.5–2.0 µm thick (at the apex 3 µm thick), distinctly echinulate. Germ pores were 2-3, equatorial or subequatorial covered by flat papillae (Fig. 2 B). Telia were hypophyllous, dark brown, small, 0.5 – 1 mm in diameter, sometimes formed in circular groups (Figs. 1A, 1C, 2C). Teliospores were ellipsoid, clavate, slightly constricted at the septum, 32–40 x 20–24 µm, the wall 1.0–1.5 µm thick, undulatae-tuberculiformis. One germ pore was usually at the apex, the second basal near the pedicel, rarely lateral, both covered with small papillae (Fig. 2D). These characters match the description of Puccinia bornmuelleri (Petrak, 1966; Tănase et al., 2007). The collected specimens have been deposited in LBL herbarium in Lublin (LBL M-8657, M-8658).

Puccinia bornmuelleri has already been reported successively from Iran, Afghanistan, Romania, Czech Republic and Austria (Petrak, 1966; Tănase et al., 2007; Müller & Šafránková, 2007; Plenk & Bedlan, 2009). Since September 2000 this species has been expanding throughout Europe, migrating from the south towards the northern part of the continent. This is, however, the first finding of Puccinia bornmuelleri in Poland.