Epitypification of <i>Colletotrichum musae</i>, the causative agent of banana anthracnose

Abstract

Colletotrichum musae is an important pathogen causing banana anthracnose. The type material (K) had no conidia or sclerotia, and DNA could not be extracted from a darkened area of the herbarium sample. This sample thus provides few characters to delimit this species from other closely related taxa in the “gloeosporioides” species complex. An epitype is therefore designated for C. musae to stabilize the application of the species name. A detailed morphological description is provided from the epitype. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis indicates that C. musae clusters in a distinct lineage in the “gloeosporioides” species complex and is most closely related to Colletotrichum fructicola.