Diversity of fungi colonizing and damaging leaves of pontic azalea Azalea pontica

Maria Kowalik

doi:10.5586/am.2013.024

Abstract

The research aimed at verifi cation of fungi species colonizing phyllosphere of pontic azalea Azalea pontica L. and at comparison of the fungi species composition: – in the natural stand in the Kołacznia nature reserve, – in arboretum collections at Bolestraszyce and Rogów. 600 fragments of healthy, infected and fallen leaves of pontic azalea were collected for mycological analyses. The species forming the largest number of colonies identified from the healthy leaves were: A. alternata, Ph. cyclaminis, E. nigrum, Ph. medicaginis and B. cinerea, from infected leaves: A. alternata, E. nigrum, Ph. cyclaminis, S. fi micola, T. viride and A. phaeospermum, whereas: E. nigrum, A. alternata, S. fi micola, Ph. cyclaminis and B. cinerea were isolated from the fallen leaves, which indicates that a majority of fungi persistently colonize the leaves during vegetation period and damage them, which leads to defoliation. Colonization of pontic azalea phyllosphere in arboreta by more numerous fungi colonies and species than under conditions of natural sites evidences their increased pressure in the arboreta environment.

Highlights

Pontic azalea Azalea pontica L., i.e. yellow rhododendron [Rhododendron luteumSweet, syn
2120 fungi colonies belonging to 64 species were isolated from the plant material: healthy, infected and fallen leaves of Azalea pontica collected on the natural site in the Kołacznia nature reserve, on the collection of the Arboretum in Bolestraszyce and on the collection of Arboretum in Rogów
The largest number of fungi colonies and species existed on healthy azalea leaves in the Kołacznia nature reserve, whereas the least number in the arboretum in Bolestraszyce