White Moulds, Ramularia and Phacellium Anamorphs in Wales and Britain: A Guide and Welsh Census Catalogue

The “White Moulds, Ramularia and Phacellium Anamorphs in Wales and Britain” is the latest in an award-winning series of books on phytoparasitic fungi written by the Welsh Microfungi Group. This volume covers the White Moulds, a group of parasitic Hyphomycete fungi,  which are a comparatively neglected group compared to the Rusts, Smuts,Downy and Powdery Mildews. However, they are very common and can be conspicuous, infecting a wide range of plants and a few species are economically important as agricultural and horticultural pathogens. Whilst more generally noted as causal agents of disease some Ramularia spp. may have a positive non parasitic role in plant defense against other pathogens.

There are around 350 species worldwide, including about 108 recorded for Britain and Ireland, of which 81 have so far been found in Wales. Most are surprisingly easy to identify.

The book aims to raise the profile of the White Moulds and provides an identification guide to the species found in Wales and in Britain. It includes an Introduction to the group, with sections on finding; collecting and preservation; identification; conservation and habitat preferences. These are followed by detailed species accounts which form the main part of the book. There is a Census Catalogue of species recorded in Wales and useful Tables of all the species recorded in Britain and Ireland sorted by fungus and by host.

The book is richly illustrated including full colour macroscopic images of infected plants and microscopic images of the fungi. Using the book and knowing the host species it should be possible to identify most of
the species collected and the authors hope it will encourage and stimulate more recording of this group.

The main text is in English with a short bilingual summary in English and Welsh.