Cephaleuros

Cephaleuros is a genus of parasitic thalloid green algae comprising approximately 14 species. Its common name is red rust. Specimens can reach around 10 mm in size. Dichotomous branches are formed. The alga is parasitic on some important economic plants of the tropics and subtropics such as tea, coffee, mango and guava causing damage limited to the area of algal growth on leaves (algal leaf spot), or killing new shoots, or disfiguring fruit. Spores germinate on plants in the rainy season. Members of the genera may also grow with a fungus to form a lichen that does not damage the plants. There are 17 species in the genus, 13 of which grow between the cuticle and epidermis of infected plants while the remaining four grow intercellularly; interceullular species cause more damage to host plants.

Species
The species currently recognised are:
 * Cephaleuros biolophus
 * Cephaleuros diffusus
 * Cephaleuros drouetii
 * Cephaleuros endophyticus
 * Cephaleuros expansa
 * Cephaleuros henningsii
 * Cephaleuros karstenii
 * Cephaleuros lagerheimii
 * Cephaleuros minimus
 * Cephaleuros parasiticus
 * Cephaleuros pilosa
 * Cephaleuros solutus
 * Cephaleuros tumidae-setae
 * Cephaleuros virescens