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Occurrence of Alternaria dichondrae, Cercospora sp., and Puccinia sp. on Dichondra repens in France and Italy

Dichondra repens (kidneyweed or ponysfoot), family Convolvulaceae, is a perennial plant with persistent leaves and is grown alone or in association with turfgrass in subtropical and Mediterranean regions. Because of its prostrate growth habit, it does not need to be mowed. It is also used as a potted plant for house decoration. During surveys of lawns in public gardens of the Franco-Italian Riviera conducted from 1993 to 2003, we noticed 0.1- to 0.5-cm-diameter, brownish, necrotic spots on leaves of D. repens in Antibes, Cannes, Menton, Nice, and Vallauris (France) and in Arma di Taggia, Diano Marina, Imperia, La Mortola, Ospedaletti, San Remo, and Ventimiglia (Italy). Symptoms were more intense in the spring on young leaves but lesions remained all year on older leaves. Two species of fungal pathogens were frequently isolated from these spots. One fungus produced brown, erect conidiophores with brown, pear-shaped conidia and bifid, subhyaline beaks. Conidia formed singly, were composed of 8 to 10 cells with transverse and longitudinal crosswalls, and had one to four hyaline spurs frequently longer than the conidia. Conidia measured 90 to 260 × 16 to 29 μm. The pathogen, identified as Alternaria dichondrae (1), was previously characterized in Italy, New Zealand, and Argentina. The second fungus species produced clumps of erect, brown conidiophores with hyaline, filiform conidia composed of 10 to 20 cells. These conidia measured 90 to 310 × 3 to 3.5 μm. This fungus was identified as a Cercospora sp. (2), a genus not previously reported on D. repens. For both fungi, necrotic spots similar to those observed in natural infections were obtained after spraying a suspension of mycelium and conidia onto leaves of D. repens seedlings that had two to four expanded leaves that had been pricked with a pin. The plants were maintained under high humidity. Assays of mycelium growth on agar media containing various fungicides showed that 1 ppm of pyremethanil completely inhibited the growth of A. dichondrae, whereas a mixture of 10 ppm of diethofencarb and 10 ppm of carbendazine completely inhibited Cercospora sp. growth. Telia were also observed on the lower surface of D. repens leaves, sometimes in association with disease symptoms of A. dichondrae and Cercospora sp. Disease symptoms of the rust were yellowing and curling of the leaf surface with erect petiole, whereas healthy plants were prostrate with plane leaf surfaces. The two-celled teliospores had smooth cell walls, a single germinative pore per cell, and measured 32 to 34 × 12 to 13 μm with a thin unattached pedicel. This rust fungus was consequently classified in the genus Puccinia (2), also not previously reported as a pathogen of D. repens. It is possible that Poaceae plants such as Poa pratensis grown in association with D. repens were the inoculum source. Whereas A. dichondrae and Cercospora sp. do not induce severe diseases and are not widespread, the prevalence of Puccinia sp. tends to increase over time, requiring appropriate treatments to manage infected turf grasses.

References: (1) P. Gambogi et al. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 65:322, 1975. (2) G. Viennot-Bourgin. Les Champignons Parasites des Plantes Cultivées, Masson ed. Paris, 1949.