<i>Stagonosporopsis pogostemonis</i>: A Novel Ascomycete Fungus Causing Leaf Spot and Stem Blight on <i>Pogostemon cablin</i> (Lamiaceae) in South China

• Main Authors: Zhang-Yong Dong, Ying-Hua Huang, Ishara S. Manawasinghe, Dhanushka N. Wanasinghe, Jia-Wei Liu, Yong-Xin Shu, Min-Ping Zhao, Mei-Mei Xiang, Mei Luo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Pathogens
• Subjects: Didymellaceae; phoma-like; pathogenicity; phylogeny
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/9/1093

<i>Pogostemon cablin</i> is one of the well-known Southern Chinese medicinal plants with detoxification, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological functions. Identification and characterization of phytopathogens on <i>P. cablin</i> are of great significance for the prevention and control of diseases. From spring to summer of 2019 and 2020, a leaf spot disease on <i>Pogostemon cablin</i> was observed in Guangdong Province, South China. The pathogen was isolated and identified based on both morphological and DNA molecular approaches. The molecular identification was conducted using multi-gene sequence analysis of large subunit (LSU), the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (<i>β-tubulin</i>), and RNA polymerase II (<i>rpb2</i>) genes. The causal organism was identified as <i>Stagonosporopsis pogostemonis</i>, a novel fungal species. Pathogenicity of <i>Stagonosporopsis pogostemonis</i> on <i>P. cablin</i> was fulfilled via confining the Koch’s postulates, causing leaf spots and stem blight disease. This is the first report of leaf spot diseases on <i>P. cablin</i> caused by <i>Stagonosporopsis</i> species worldwide.