Abstract A description is provided for Cercospora beticola . Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Beta ciclae, B. maritima (wild sea beet), B. putternulaei, B. trigyna, B. vulgaris (beet, sugar beet), Chenopodium ambrosioides (wormseed), C. beticola, C. murale, C. polyspermi, C. urbicum, Spinacea oleracea (spinach). DISEASE: Causing whitish, grey or pale brown spots usually surrounded by a narrow reddish-purple or brown border on living and wilting leaves. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), Asia (Hong Kong, India, Malaya, Nepal, Pakistan), East Indies (Borneo, Papua New Guinea), Europe (Channel Isles, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Poland, Roumania, Switzerland), Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Turkey), North America (USA), South America (Venezuela), West Indies (Antigua, Cuba, Jamaica). TRANSMISSION: Wind dispersal of conidia showed diurnal periodicity with a peak at 10.00 hrs. The increase in concentration of conidia above the crop coincided with an increase in wind speed and temperature and a decrease in RH. The largest number of conidia were trapped on warm dry days following rain or overnight dew (50, 362). Epiphytotics were proceeded by periods of 6h at more than 90% RH for 3-4 successive days and at a temperature of more than 12.5°C (55, 1205).