Nandina domestica Thunb. (heavenly bamboo) is an ornamental plant that is widely planted in landscapes in California and other states. Since 1996, powdery mildew disease has been seen on outdoor landscape N. domestica in various regions of California (Alameda, Monterey, Riverside, and Santa Barbara counties). Symptoms consist of reddening of leaf and stem tissues colonized by the fungus and curling and twisting of infected leaves. The following observations were the same for all collected isolates. White ectophytic mycelium was observed on leaves and petioles. Mycelium on leaves was amphigenous, mostly epiphyllous, and effused or in patches. Hyphal appressoria were nipple-shaped to lobed and sometimes opposite in orientation. Conidiophores were cylindrical, straight, sometimes slightly flexuous, 22 to 32 × 6 to 8 μm in dimension, and followed by one to two shorter cells. Conidia were cylindrical, produced singly, and 27 to 42 × 11.5 to 14 μm in dimension. Fibrosin bodies were not observed. Conidial germ tubes were approximately twice the length of the spore, originated from the ends of the spore, and terminated in simple appressoria. Cleistothecia were not present. Based on these characteristics, the fungus was identified as Microsphaera berberidis (DC) Lév. (1). Pathogenicity was confirmed by gently pressing diseased leaves on leaves of healthy N. domestica plants. Plants were incubated in a humidity chamber at 22 to 24°C, and after 10 to 14 days, powdery mildew colonies developed. A voucher specimen was deposited in the University of California Herbarium (UC 1738622). Additional inoculation experiments showed that four other N. domestica cultivars were susceptible (Compacta Nana, Gulf Stream, Harbour Dwarf, and Royal Princess). Helfer (2) noted several possible candidates for the Nandina powdery mildew pathogen in the United Kingdom. However, due to the conidial characteristics of that fungus and the paucity of character descriptions for the several species mentioned, no species name was given to the Edinburgh isolate. In contrast, the mitosporic characteristics of our isolates fit the description for M. berberidis. This is the first report of powdery mildew on N. domestica in North America.
References: (1) U. Braun. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987. (2) S. Helfer. Plant Dis. 79:424, 1995.
