Occurrence of species of the nectria s.l. (bionectriaceae, nectriaceae, hypocreales, ascomycetes) in central and south-eastern Europe

Abstract

Recent data on the occurrence of species of Nectria s.l. (Bionectriaceae, Nectriaceae, Hypocreales, Ascomycetes) in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (Central and Southeastern Europe) are presented, including some notes on their ecological characteristics. Eight species were found in the five countries outside Slovakia (Cosmospora coccinea, C. purtonii, Nectria aurantiaca, N. cinnabarina, N. coryli, Neonectria coccinea, N. galligena, N. punicea). Due to long-term investigations in a large number of localities, we found six additional species in Slovakia (Cosmospora episphaeria, Hydropisphaeria peziza, Nectria berolinensis, N. cucurbitula, Neonectria ditissima, N. radicicola). Nectria aurantiaca (one locality in Bulgaria), N. coryli (one locality in Slovakia and Bulgaria) and Neonectria punicea (three localities in Slovakia and one in Bulgaria) can be considered as rare. The records of these three species in Bulgaria can be regarded as the first ones for this country. The data were collected mainly in the course of a long-term study of the necrotic bark disease of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) focused on Slovakia. The disease is apparently mainly caused by some species of Neonectria (N. coccinea, N. ditissima, N. galligena). It has spread in the last decades and often provokes epiphytocias.