Notes on species of Sporisorium and Ustilago from Pakistan

We analyzed smut fungi ( Ustilaginales ) parasitizing nine poaceous hosts from three districts (Shangla, Mansehra, and Dir Upper) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Eight taxa were identified in two genera using both morphological and molecular techniques by amplifying ITS and LSU regions. We describe Ustilago pseudosyntherismae sp. nov. on Digitaria sanguinalis and Dactylis glomerata as new to science and U. neocopinata as a new record for Pakistan. We provide updated distribution records for six smut species viz. U. maydis , U. tritici , Sporisorium cruentum , S. moniliferum , S. reilianum , and S. schweinfurthianum .