Galls of Gypsophila paniculata Caused by Erwinia herbicola. D. A. Cooksey, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside 92521. Plant Dis. 70:464-468. Accepted for publication 31 October 1985. Copyright 1986 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-70-464.

Galls resembling crown gall disease were observed on Gypsophila paniculata nursery cuttings and field-grown plants. No virulent Agrobacterium strains were recovered from the galled tissues, and tests for the presence of opines in the galled tissues were negative. Two species of Erwinia (E. herbicola and E. rhapontici) were consistently isolated in high numbers from galls, and E. herbicola was isolated in high numbers from leaves and stems. Strains of E. herbicola from galls and aerial plant parts of Gypsophila induced galling on inoculated cuttings. However, the type culture of A. gypsophilae (E. herbicola ATCC 13329) was nonpathogenic in our tests. The possible involvement of E. rhapontici in the browning and rotting of the E. herbicola-induced galls is discussed.