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Title: Diagnosis of centipedegrass anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum eremochloae sp. nov.

Author
item VINES, PHILIP - Mississippi State University
item TOMASO-PETERSON, MARIA - Mississippi State University
item Crouch, Jo Anne

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2012
Publication Date: 4/1/2012
Citation: Vines, P.L., Tomaso-Peterson, M., Crouch, J. 2012. Diagnosis of centipedegrass anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum eremochloae sp. nov.. Phytopathology. 102(4):S2.10.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is a medium-textured, stoloniferous warm-season turfgrass used as home lawn and utility turf. It is well-adapted to a wide range of soil conditions but grows best in sandy, acidic soils of low fertility and can withstand some shade. Diseases arise when centipedegrass is over-managed with fertility and irrigation inputs and low height of cut. In spring transition, centipedegrass home lawns exhibit symptoms of leaf chlorosis and sheath blight, and irregular, chlorotic patches associated with thinning turf. The patches range in size from a few meters isolated in the turf to the entire sward. Microscopic observations in affected leaf sheaths revealed a fungus with light grey mycelium, prominent septation, and abundant hyphal appresoria with acervuli lacking. Cultures on potato dextrose agar were grey in appearance, produced few conidia, and developed a yellow exudate at the perimeter of the colony, similar to Colletotrichum sublineola the causal agent of sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) and johnsongrass (S. halepense (L.) Pers.) anthracnose. Sequence markers (Apn2, Mat1, Sod2, and ITS) were 98% similar to C. sublineola, but were an identical match to an unidentified fungus present in a centipedegrass herbarium sample that was intercepted from China in 1923, resulting in a new species Colletotrichum eremochloae.