FIRST RECORD OF GENUS LEVEILLULA ON A MEMBER OF THE MORACEAE: Leveillula taurica ON Ficus carica

A powdery mildew fungus Leveillula taurica (Erysiphales) is reported for the first time on fig tree (Ficus carica) (Moraceae) in Sistan region, Iran. One hundred fungal organs including clistothecia, asci, ascospores and conidia, were micrometried by the calibrated Olympus BH2 microscope. All characters of the organs were recorded and drawn using a drawing tube. Conidiophores were with cylindrical foot cells, bearing a single conidium or occasionally with short chains of 2–3 conidia. The fungus produced both primary and secondary conidia. Primary conidia were lanceolate and secondary ones were ellipsoid to cylindrical. Cleistothecia were 160–230 μm in diameter and cleistothecia appendages were myceliod. There were 20-30 cases in each cleistothecia which were clavate stalked. In each ascus, there were 1-4 ascospores which were ellipsoid-ovoid shaped. On the basis of morphological characters of the anamorph and telemorph, this fungus was identified as Leveillula taurica. This fungi is the second powdery mildew species in addition to Oidium erysipheoide reported for Moraceae. This is also the first report of genus Leveillula on Moraceae in the world making Moraceae the latest host family for Leveillula taurica.