First Report of Gymnosporangium globosum Causing American Hawthorn Rust in Korea

Field surveys and specimen collections of the rust fungal pathogen Gymnosporangium were carried out for 15 years from 1985 through 1999 in various locations of Korea. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations of morphological characteristics of aecia from the collected specimens revealed that Gymnosporangium globosum is the causal agent of American hawthorn rust disease on Crataegus pinnatifida and C. pinnatifida varmajor. The host plants are new for this rust fungus. G. globosum was found only in Gyeonggi and Chungbuk provinces, indicating that its distribution in Korea is limited. This is a first full description on morphological characters of aecia of G. globosum in Korea.