Fungi and fungi-like Oomycetes isolated from affected leaves of rhododendron

Maria Kowalik

doi:10.5586/am.2008.003

Abstract

The aim of the work is to identify fungi and fungi-like Oomycetes occurring on affected leaves of rhododendron Rhododendron L. Mycological analyses were carried out on 200 leaves collected from green areas of Kraków from May till September 2005. Isolated fungi-like Oomycetes belonged to 67 taxa. The most frequently found fungi included: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Coelophoma empetri, Nigrospora sphaerica, Pestalotia sydowiana, Phialophora cyclaminis, Phomopsis archeri, Septoria azalea and Sordaria fimicola. Among fungi-like organisms Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. citricola were isolated.

Highlights

Rhododendrons growing in urban green areas are susceptible to various pathogenes
Less frequent were: Acremonium furcatum, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Cylindrocladium scoparium, Epicoccum purpurascens, Exobasidium vaccinii, Humicola fuscoatra v. fuscoatra, Phoma chrysanthemicola and Ph. putaminum
Fungi-like Oomycetes were represented by Phytophthora cinnamomi and Ph. citricola (Tab. 1)

Summary

Introduction

Rhododendrons growing in urban green areas are susceptible to various pathogenes. Brown spots and necroses, affecting their aesthetic value. The symptoms of infection, observable from spring to autumn, increase when the plants are in bloom resulting in dieback and leaf drop. The damage is caused by fungi-like Oomycetes of genera Pythium and Phytophthora and fungi of genera: Botrytis, Cercospora, Colletotrichum, Cylindrocladium, Exobasidium, Microsphaera, Ovulinia, Pestalotia, Phomopsis, Phyllosticta, Pycnostysanus, Ramularia, Rhizoctonia and Septoria (Farr et al 19 9 6 ; W e r n e r , Kw a ś n a 9 8 ; W e r re s 0 0 ; O r likowski 1999; Łabanowski et al 2001; Kita, Mazurek 2003; Kowalik et al 2006; Kowalik, Muras 2007). The aim of this work was to identify the organisms occurring on affected rhododendron leaves in green areas of Kraków.

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