Olivea tectonae, leaf rust of teak, occurs in Cuba

Teak is planted widely and is commonly used in Cuba for construction. In November 2006, we found a rust on trees in Güira de Melena, Perico and Ranchuelo municipalities of Havana , Matanzas and Villa Clara provinces respectively. First symptoms occur on leaves of plants of all ages, and begin with small regular and irregular brown to grey necrotic areas (Fig. 1) that cover the upper leaf surface (Fig. 2). Later the leaves dry up and appear burned (Fig. 3), with severe to complete defoliation (Fig. 4) of young trees in 20-30 days from symptom onset. Tree growth is reduced.

Uredinia were powdery, orange, sub-epidermal at first, later erumpent. Paraphyses were cylindrical, curved and swollen at the apex, 3-5 µm thick. Urediniospores were ovoid, orange-yellow, echinulate, 20-23 x 16.‑22 µm, with germ pores present and cell walls 2-5 µm thick. Teliospores were absent (Fig. 5). The symptoms and fungus characteristics agree with the description by Mulder and Gibson (1973) of Olivia tectonae, teak leaf rust. O. tectonae was restricted to Asia for over a 100 years until it was found in Panama in 2003, later Costa Rica (Arguedas 2004), Mexico and Ecuador (EPPO, 2005). O. tectonae has been confirmed from Australia (Daly et al. 2006). This is the first report of teak leaf rust caused by O. tectonae in Cuba , evidence that the fungus is moving rapidly throughout the Caribbean region and Central America.