Botryosphaeria mamane sp. nov. associated with witches'-brooms on the endemic forest tree Sophora chrysophylla in Hawaii

Botryosphaeria mamane sp. nov. occurs on the leguminous forest species Sophora chrysophylla in Hawaii. Inoculation did not demonstrate a causal relationship, but the fungus is consistently associated with branch contortions, swellings, witches'-brooms, and eventual death of tissue. Similar to B. ribis, the prominently stromatic fungus is characterized by a Fusicoccum anamorph. Microconidia are also produced. The fungus was readily cultured vegetatively on potato dextrose agar, but produced only micro-conidiomata abundantly. The new species is distinguished from B. ribis morphologically in having larger macroconidia, asci and ascospores, but also by its association with a symptom unusual for Botryosphaeria and its apparent limitation to an endemic host in Hawaii, suggesting that the fungus itself may be endemic.