Identification of Utrechtiana Species from Common Reed in Khuzestan Province: New Records for Iran

Common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. Ex Steud.) is one of the important invasive weeds in the world that helps agricultural crop pathogen survival, proliferation, and distribution via infestation of shrubby and tree crop fields. Also, the weed causes problems via water canal occlusion and growth along with railroads. However, the plant culms are profitable in the building of dwellings, feeding of livestock as well as in the phytoremediation of polluted water, and production of biofuel. Hence, it is very relevant to identify the fungi pathogenic on the plant. Among these fungi, there are two species of the genus Utrechtiana Crous and Quaedvl. U. roumeguerei (Cavara) Videira & Crous and U. arundinacea (Corda) Crous, Quaedvi. & Marín respectively reported here for the first and the second time from Iran. Additionally, the symptoms of both fungal diseases are reported. This article is the first report of the incidence of the fungal pathogen U. roumeguerei and fusoid eye spot disease of common reed in Iran.