INTRODUCTION Colletotrichum (sexual stage: Glomerella) is a genus of fungi that are symbionts to plants as endophytes (living within the plant) or phytopathogens. Many of the species in this genus are plant pathogens, but some species may have a mutualistic relationship with hosts.
Higher classification: Glomerellaceae Scientific name: Colletotrichum Order: Glomerellales Class: Sordariomycetes Kingdom: Fungi
COMMON DISEASES Diseases caused by the fungus Colletotrichum, particularly leaf spots, are very common in plant production nurseries. This pathogen attacks a very wide range of ornamental, fruit and vegetable species, causing the disease commonly known as “anthracnose”. SYMPTOMS Symptoms include sunken spots or lesions (blight) of various colours in leaves, stems, fruits, or flowers, and some infections form cankers on twigs and branches. The severity of the infection depends on both the causative agent and the infected species and can range from mere unsightliness to death.
SOME PATHOGENIC SPECIES Colletotrichum capsici Colletotrichum capsici is a species of fungus and plant pathogen which causes leaf blight on Chlorophytum borivilianum, basil, chickpea and pepper as well as dieback in pigeonpea and anthracnose in poinsettia. Colletotrichum lindemuthianum Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is a fungus which causes anthracnose, or black spot disease, of the common bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris). It is considered a hemibiotrophic pathogen because it spends part of its infection cycle as a biotroph, living off of the host but not harming it, and the other part as a necrotroph, killing and obtaining nutrients from the host tissues. Glomerella cingulata Glomerella cingulata is a fungal plant pathogen, being the name of the sexual stage (teleomorph) while the more commonly referred to asexual stage (anamorph) is called Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. For most of this article the pathogen will be referred to as C. gloeosporioides