Some Himalayan Ascomycetes of the Punjab and Kashmir

Abstract

As a result of studies in the genus Pleospora, I have been interested for some time in the subalpine ascomycete floras of mountain areas in various parts of the world, which have many characteristic species in common, but show minor differences and endemics in different areas. One great limitation to such studies is the lack of collections from many important montane regions. During the academic years of 1960-62, Dr. R. R. Stewart was in residence at the Herbarium of the University of Michigan, arranging and determining the phanerogamic collections from northern India and Pakistan. This offered an exceptional opportunity to obtain and study the stem and leaf inhabiting fungi of this region. These collections were searched for dead and accessory parts on the phanerogamic hosts which bore such fungi. This sampling was of course fragmentary and the material was often of necessity limited in quantity, in some cases to a single slide mount. Nevertheless, over three hundred samples were obtained which gave a very fair conception of the composition of this Himalayan flora. The areas covered by these collections were parts of the Himalayan foothills, in Kashmir and the Punjab. The sampling was restricted for the most part to collections above 9-10,000 ft. The most striking feature of the flora of this region was its similarity to that of most other subalpine areas studied. The most common genera were again Pleospora, Leptosphaeria and Mycosphaerella, with a large number of Fungi Imperfecti. The greater amount of the last season's dead leaves and culms usually taken with grass collections gave a preponderance of occurrences on these hosts. The species of Pleospora, Platyspora and Clathrospora were most similar to those found in the Rocky Mts., of America and the mountains of the Near East. Within the genus Pleospora, the predominant group of species was the P. herbarum complex, so abundant elsewhere at high