New Disease of Syngonium podophyllum ‘White Butterfly’ Caused by a Pathovar of Xanthomonas campestris. A. R. Chase, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, IFAS, Central Florida Research and Education Center, 2807 Binion Rd., Apopka 32703. P. S. Randhawa, and R. H. Lawson. Plant Pathologist, Yoder Bros. Inc., P.O. Box 68, Alva, FL 33920; and Plant Pathologist, USDA Florist and Nursery Crops Laboratory, BARC West B004, Beltsville, MD 20705.. Plant Dis. 72:74-78. Accepted for publication 28 September 1987. Copyright 1988 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-72-0074.

A serious new foliar blight of Syngonium podophyllum ‘White Butterfly’ is described. A slow-growing xanthomonad that readily caused symptoms of blight was consistently isolated from affected plants. The bacterium was specific to species and cultivars of Syngonium, causing blight within 10 days of misting with a suspension containing 1 × 10⁸ cfu/ml. Standard biochemical tests as well as electron microscopy showed the pathogen to be Xanthomonas campestris. Biochemical and biological comparisons of X. c. pv. dieffenbachiae and X. c. pv. vitians were performed because both have been reported as pathogens of Syngonium spp. In vitro tests, including growth response to temperature, carbohydrate utilization, gelatin hydrolysis, and pectolysis as well as fatty acid analysis, revealed differences among the three groups of organisms. Additionally, symptomatology on S. podophyllum and host range varied considerably among the strains.

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