HORTSCIENCE 46(4):532–535. 2011. fruiting bodies) (Kirk et al., 2008). Saccardo assumed that Fries found pycnidia, because he used this species epithet as the basis for his From Native Plants in Central Europe name Phoma cucurbitacearum (Fr.) Sacc., which is used by most scientists for the to Cultivated Crops Worldwide: The anamorph (asexual) stage of the fungus that produces pycnidia. Recently, the new name, Emergence of Didymella bryoniae Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum (Fr.) Aveskamp, Gruyter & Verkley, has been pro- posed for the anamorph based on molecular as a Cucurbit Pathogen analysis and division of species of Phoma Anthony P. Keinath into numerous clades (Aveskamp et al., Clemson University, Coastal Research and Education Center, 2700 Savannah 2010). In reality, the distinction between asexual and sexual states of D. bryoniae is Highway, Charleston, SC 29414-5329 not terribly important biologically, because Additional index words. Bryonia alba, Citrullus lanatus, Cucumis sativus, gummy stem blight, the fungus is homothallic and readily pro- seed duces both fruiting bodies on a variety of hosts (Keinath, 2010). Abstract. Didymella bryoniae (Auersw.) Rehm [anamorph Phoma cucurbitacearum (Fr.) It is interesting to note that 1) the earliest Sacc.], the plant pathogenic fungus that causes gummy stem blight and black rot on confirmed collections of D. bryoniae were on cucurbits, was first described in 1869 from Bryonia (bryony or wild hops) in central Bryonia; and 2) pseudothecia were present in Europe. Today, this pathogen is found on six continents on at least 12 genera and 23 each case. In contrast, the collections in the species of cucurbits. How did D. bryoniae progress from a pathogen of a native plant in 1890s were all from cultivated cucurbits on central Europe to a worldwide threat to cucurbits cultivated in humid environments? which either only pycnidia had formed or the Clues from the early discoveries of this fungus, its characteristics as a seedborne collectors overlooked pseudothecia. It took pathogen, and its broad adaptation to cucurbit hosts will provide some answers to this several more decades until the connection question. was made between D. bryoniae and its asex- ual state. Whether D. bryoniae spread from Bryonia to cultivated cucurbits cannot be de- Early Reports of Didymella bryoniae melonis Pass. by Giovanni Passerini in 1885 termined, because there were no early col- and Gummy Stem Blight (Corlett, 1981) (Table 1). In 1891, three lections of the fungus from both hosts in the collections from cultivated cucurbits were same location. More likely, with the in- Both Bernhard Auerswald and Karl made: William Dudley found D. bryoniae creased knowledge of basic plant pathology, Fuckel, working independently, described on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in a green- gummy stem blight came to be recognized Didymella bryoniae in 1869 from specimens house on the Cornell University campus, as a disease of cucurbits caused by a fungus. collected on the cucurbit Bryonia growing in New York (Farr and Rossman, 2010); Casi- That this happened independently during this Germany (Corlett, 1981; Robert et al., 2005). mir Roumegue`re found it on cucumber in period can be seen from the variety of names Although each mycologist assigned the fun- France (Chiu and Walker, 1949); and Fred- assigned to the pathogen. Thus, most bota- gus to a different genus, they coined the same erick Chester found it on watermelon [Cit- nists, mycologists, and plant pathologists species name ‘‘bryoniae’’ following the con- rullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai] in discovered D. bryoniae because it attracted vention that the specific epithet of the fungus Delaware. Frederick Chester, a plant pathol- their attention in their localities, not because should be taken from the generic name of the ogist, noted that the disease had already they had read reports in the literature. How- plant host (Table 1). Because Auerswald’s occurred ‘‘for some years past’’ and resulted ever, Dudley and Selby, who worked at the report was published first in 1869, he is in ‘‘widespread financial disaster wherever land-grant universities Cornell and Ohio credited with the discovery, and his name it gains foothold’’ (Chester, 1891). All three State, respectively, chose a name from the lit- has priority according to most mycologists. collectors observed only pycnidia on their erature for their collections. Presumably, ac- Fuckel’s report was not published until 1870, specimens, because they named their patho- cess to current literature at their places of when volumes 23 (1869) and 24 (1870) of the gens Phyllosticta cucurbitacearum Sacc., employment influenced their identifications. journal were published together (Robert Ascochyta cucumis Fautr. & Roum. and In the meantime, one of the early hosts, B. et al., 2005). Note that the genus Didymella Phyllosticta citrullina Chester with generic alba (white byrony), was introduced into the was not created until 1880 by Pier Andrea names of anamorphic fungi. Roumegue`re and United States several times in the 19th century Saccardo. In 1881, Heinrich Rehm trans- Chester created new species names that again as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Sub- ferred species bryoniae to Didymella. How- were based on the particular host, because sequently, it escaped from cultivation and ever, this did not prevent subsequent they apparently thought they had discovered became established in the Pacific Northwest collectors from creating additional names a unique fungus. Several years later, D. (Novak and Mack, 1995). Currently, B. alba for this fungus (Table 1). bryoniae was found in the midwestern United is present in Washington, Idaho, Montana, The earliest collection and unambiguous States, again on cucumber, by the botanist and Utah; in Washington, it is considered a report of D. bryoniae on a cultivated cucurbit and plant pathologist Augustine Selby (Table noxious weed. D. bryoniae has never been is from Cucumis melo L. in Italy collected in 1). In the first decade of the 20th century, found on B. alba in the United States (S.J. an unknown year and described as Didymella additional collections and reports appeared Novak, personal communication, 19 June 1997). from additional states in the United States The most likely reason for this is that B. alba and Puerto Rico (Farr and Rossman, 2010). is found in arid environments such as south- Note that what is assumed to be the first eastern Washington that are not conducive Received for publication 6 Dec. 2010. Accepted for report of D. bryoniae was by Elias Fries for D. bryoniae. In addition, the phenology publication 26 Jan. 2011. (Table 1), one of the founders of mycology, of B. alba reduces the likelihood of contact This material is based on work supported by who found a novel fungus growing on a cu- between pathogen and host. B. alba is de- NIFA/USDA under project number SC-1700294. Keynote address presented 15 Nov. 2010 at Cucur- curbit (genus unknown) and named it Sphae- ciduous; ‘‘the stems emerge from the tuber- bitaceae 2010, Charleston, SC. ria cucurbitacearum (Robert et al., 2005). ous root in mid to late spring, and this is after Technical Contribution No. 5900 of the Clemson The genus Sphaeria was used by early the majority of the years’ precipitation has University Experiment Station. mycologists for fungi that produced pycnidia fallen’’ (S.J. Novak, personal communica- e-mail [email protected]. (asexual fruiting bodies) or perithecia (sexual tion, 19 June 1997). 532 HORTSCIENCE VOL. 46(4) APRIL 2011 REVIEW Table 1. Pre-1900 collections of Didymella bryoniae (Auersw.) Rehm. Yrz Location Host Collector Name Reference 1823 Sweden? Cucurbitaceae E. Fries Sphaeria cucurbitacearum Fr. Robert et al., 2005 1869 Germany Bryonia cretica G. Rabenhorst Sphaerella bryoniae Auersw. Robert et al., 2005 1869 Hessen, Germany Bryonia sp. K. Fuckel Sphaeria bryoniae Fuckel Corlett, 1981 1870–1874 Czech Republic Bryonia alba G. Niessl Sphaerella bryoniae Auersw. Corlett, 1981 1876 England, UK Bryonia alba C. Plowright Sphaeria bryoniae Fuckel Corlett, 1981 1885 Italy Cucumis melo G. Passerini Didymella melonis Pass. Corlett, 1981 1891 New York (Cornell greenhouse) Cucumis sativus W. Dudley Phyllosticta cucurbitacearum Sacc. Farr and Rossman, 2010 1891 France Cucumis sativus C. Roumegue`re Ascochyta cucumis Fautr. & Roum. Chiu and Walker, 1949 1891 Delaware Citrullus lanatus F. Chester Phyllosticta citrullina Chester Chester, 1891 1898 Ohio Cucumis sativus A. Selby Phyllosticta cucurbitacearum Sacc. Farr and Rossman, 2010 zEstimated years of collection are based on the publication date of the name assigned to the specimen. A Seedborne Cucurbit Pathogen Table 2. Cucurbit genera reported to be infected by Didymella bryoniae. Genus (number of D. bryoniae may be present both on and in species infected) Common name Primary Reference for genus cucurbit seed. Although it is impossible to Benincasa (1) Wax gourd Wiant, 1945 know with certainty, two of the early reports Bryonia (3) Bryony Auerswald, 1869, in Corlett, 1981 of gummy stem blight in 1891 may have in- Citrullus (2) Watermelon Chester, 1891 volved seedborne inoculum. According to Cucumis (3) Cucumber; melon Passerini, 1885, in Corlett, 1981 Chiu and Walker (1949), the cucumber grown Cucurbita (5) Squash, pumpkin Grossenbacher, 1909 in France on which Roumegue`re observed Cyclanthera (1) Wild cucumber Mendes et al., 1998, in Farr and Rossman, 2010 gummy stem blight was a Chinese variety, Lagenaria (1) Bottle gourd Grossenbacher, 1909 which would have been imported through Luffa (2) Loofah Grossenbacher, 1909 Momordica (2) Bitter melon Wiant, 1945 seed. Dudley’s observation of gummy stem Sechium (1) Chayote Wiant, 1945 blight on greenhouse cucumber also indicates Sicyos (1) Bur-cucumber Greene, 1953, in Farr and Rossman, 2010 that external or environmental sources of in- Trichosanthes (1) Snake gourd Punithalingam and Holliday, 1972 oculum were not involved in that outbreak. One of the first reports to confirm contami- nated seed as the source of inoculum for an outbreak of gummy stem blight came from for Developing Countries in Copenhagen, Interactions between D.