On the Maravalia echinulata (Niessl ex Rabenh.) Ono (Pucciniales: Chaconiaceae) with reference to its host range and distribution

Maravalia echinulata (Niessl ex Rabenh.) Ono has been rediscovered from West Bengal, India, after its last report in 1931. Sections of infected host leaves were cut, stained in cotton blue, and mounted in lactophenol. All five spore forms of this macrocyclic autoecious rust fungus are described in detail, with notes on its world distribution, distribution in India, and host range. Pycnia were found to be amphigenous, whereas aecia, uredinia, and telia were hypophyllous. Pycnia subcuticular, globose with flexuous hyphae belonging to type 4 of Hiratsuka & Sato (1982) containing chains of spermatia. Aeciospores are spiny, and catenulate, forming long chains connected by hyaline disjunctor cells. Urediniospores pedicellate, spiny, hyaline, and thin-walled when young, but brown and thick-walled when mature, intermingled with paraphyses. Basidium cylindric with a pedicel, 4-celled, tetrasterigmatic; basidiospores globose. Discrepancies in descriptions of microscopic characters by different authors with regard to the present observations have also been discussed.