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(American Journal of Botany. 2003;90:1522-1531.)
© 2003 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Population Biology

Herbarium studies on the distribution of anther-smut fungus (Microbotryum violaceum) and Silene species (Caryophyllaceae) in the eastern United States1

Janis Antonovics2,4, Michael E. Hood2, Peter H. Thrall3, Joseph Y. Abrams2 and G. Michael Duthie2

2Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 USA; 3Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia

We used herbarium specimens of Silene virginica, S. caroliniana, S. rotundifolia, and S. latifolia to survey the incidence of anther-smut disease (caused by Microbotryum violaceum sensu lato) in the eastern USA. We found no evidence of a collector bias against diseased specimens. Diseased specimens were frequently found in collections of S. virginica and S. caroliniana, but not in those of S. rotundifolia or S. latifolia. Disease incidence in S. virginica and S. caroliniana increased significantly over the past century and was higher in marginal populations. The absence of disease in specimens of S. rotundifolia is consistent with field observations, but its presence in natural populations of S. latifolia (especially in Virginia) suggests that the disease is recently introduced. Changes in the host distributions were also evident. The relative abundance of S. caroliniana declined over time (especially further north), while the relative abundance of S. virginica increased. Silene latifolia was absent or rare south of Pennsylvania before ca. 1920, indicating that S. latifolia and its anther smut are likely to be recent introductions in Virginia. Methods are also presented that quantify the completeness of coverage provided by herbarium specimens.

Key Words: Caryophyllaceae • fungal pathogen • invasive species • Microbotryum violaceum • plant distribution • Silene antirrhina • Silene noctiflora • Silene ovata • Silene stellata • Silene vulgaris






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