Rhodosporidium diobovatum sp. n., the perfect form of an asporogenous yeast (Rhodotorula sp.).

New direct evidence of the relationship between the yeast form genus Rhodotorula and heterobasidiomycetous fungi is presented, namely, a new species of the heterobasidiomycetous genus Rhodosporidium with a rhodotoruloid yeast phase. The new species has the Rhodosporidium life cycle but differs significantly from, and is not interfertile with, described species of the genus. It was isolated from marine and estuarine waters of south Florida. The nature of the relationship between the Rhodosporidium species and fungi of the order Ustilaginales is discussed.