Disease Note

Occurrence of Myriogenospora atramentosa on Centipedegrass in Louisiana. G. E. Holcomb, Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge 70803. J. P. Jones, Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge 70803. Plant Dis. 70:259. Accepted for publication 8 November 1985. Copyright 1986 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-70-259b.

Dormant centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.) sod was transplanted from a commercial farm to a greenhouse in November 1984. After growth resumed, leaves showed symptoms in the form of a black crust that held the two halves of the upper leaf surfaces together. Microscopic sections revealed the crust to be the perithecial stroma of Myriogenospora atramentosa (Berk. & Curt. apud Berk.) Diehl, a fungal parasite found on forage and wild grasses. The stroma was superficial, and fungal penetration of the leaves was not evident. Stroma length varied from 8 to 67 mm, with 75% being 12–33 mm long. Infected leaves (sensu Rykard) senesced and died sooner than noninfected leaves of the same age, and new growth continued to become infected. Inoculation attempts with ascospores (released by grinding stroma in distilled water) misted onto healthy plants did not result in infection. M. atramentosa was first reported on centipedegrass from Georgia in 1985. This is the second report of its occurrence on this major southern turfgrass.