Pseudocercospora fijiensis

Pseudocercospora fijiensis
at a glance

Spore-producing hyphea (J.R. Liberato, DPI&F)

Kingdom

Fungi

Division

Ascomycota

Subdivision

Pezizomycotina

Class

Dothideomycetes

Order

Capnodiales

Family

Mycosphaerellaceae

Genus

Pseudocercospora

Species

Pseudocercospora fijiensis

Pseudocercospora fijiensis is an haploid, hemibiotrophic filamentous ascomycete fungus and the causal agent of black leaf streak. Ascomycetes are characterized by the type of spores they produce: ascosores which are spores contained in or produced inside an ascus (from the Greek word for bag).

P. fijiensis has a bipolar, heterothallic mating system. The sexual form used to be called Mycosphaerella fijiensis and the asexual form, Pseudocercospora fijiensis. However, in keeping with the one fungus, one name principle adopted in 2011 by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress1 , the species is now known by only one name: Pseudocercospora fijiensis2 .

The fungus was first identified in Fiji's Sigatoka valley, but is believed to have been widespread in the Asia-Pacific region long before then3 .

Life cycle

The disease cycle consists of four stages: spore germination, penetration of the host, symptom development and spore production.

References