The life cycle of on and species in South Africa.

Rust fungi are important plant pathogens and have been extensively studied on crops and other host plants worldwide. This study describes the heterecious life cycle of a rust fungus on (finger grass) and the species (large yellow bitter apple), (bitter apple), and (eggplant) in South Africa. Following field observations, inoculation studies involving telial isolates collected from plants produced spermogonia and aecia on , and . Likewise, inoculation of finger grass with aeciospores collected from the aforementioned species produced uredinia on (pearl millet varieties Milkstar and Okashana, as well as 17 experimental lines) and (silverleaf nightshade or bitter apple) were resistant to the rust isolates. Morphological descriptions and molecular phylogenetic data confirmed the identity of the rust on as , herein reinstated as a species and closely related to the pearl millet rust, also reinstated. has a macrocyclic, heterecious life cycle in which teliospores overwinter on dormant plants. Aecia sporulate on species of during spring and early summer to provide inocula that infect new growth of .