Taxonomic And Phylogenetic Studies Of Colletotrichum On Medicinal Plants

The generic name Colletotrichum was introduced by Corda at 1831.The genus Colletotrichum includes a number of plant pathogens of major importance,causing diseases of a wide variety of woody and herbaceous plants.Identification of the species has always been difficult since introduced by Corda in 1831.Thus,we believe that comprehensive studies on this genus are important.In the present study,we collected more than 500 tissues of medicinal plants with disease symptoms from four provinces in southwest China(Guangxi,Guizhou,Sichuan and Yunnan).Total 171 isolates of Colletotrichum were obtained from 77 specimens.Their hosts include 39 species of 29 families(Liliaceae(Disporopsis fuscopicta,Hosta ventricosa);Aquifoliaceae(Ilex chinensis);Leguminosae(Spatholobus suberectus,Bauhinia championii);Ericaceae(Cuculus poliocephalus);Piperaceae(Piper sarmentosum);Cucurbitaceae(Melothria ndica);Zingiberaceae(Curcuma phaeocaulis,Zingiber officinale,Alpinia zerumbet);Calycanthaecae(Chimonanthus praecox);Magnoliaceae(Illicium leiophyllum);Oleaceae(Osmanthus fragrans,Ligustrum lucidum);Vitaceae(Cissus repens);Anacardiaceae(Mangifera indica);Rubiaceae(Gardenia jasminoides);Rosaceae(Eriobotrya japonica,Photinia serratifolia);Solanaceae(Capsicum annuum);Caprifoliaceae(Viburnum dilatatum);Saururaceae(Houttuynia cordata);Theaceae(Camellia sinensis,Camellia japonica);Cornaceae(Ancuba japonica);Amaryllidaceae(Hymenocallis littoralis);Gymnospermae(Cycas micholitzii);Araceae(Alocasia macrorrhiza,Syngonium podophyllum);Araliaceae(Fatsia japonica,Ivy League,Heteropanax fragrans);Amaranthaceae(Achyranthes bidentata);Berberidaceae(Mahonia fortunei);Rutaceae(Citrus medic);Lauraceae(Cinnamomum camphora);Myrsinaceae(Ardisia japonica);Palmae(Chamaedorea elegans)),during September 2017 to August 2019.Total 171 isolates of Colletotrichum belong to 8 phylogenetic clades(Acutatum,Boninense,Destructivum,Gloeosporioides,Magnum,Orchidearum,Spaethanium,Truncatum),while more than 50% were in C.gloeosporiodes species complex.Based on morphological description and multi-gene analyses of six gene loci(ACT,CAL,CHS-l,HIS3,GAPDH,ITS and TUB2)and Ap Mat gene phylogenetic,the strains represented 25 species including 14 new taxa.New species are C.citrus-medicae,C.disporopsis,C.fatsiae,C.gardenia,C.hostae,C.huaxiense,C.ilexsis,C.ligustrumae,C.osmanthusae,C.piper-sarmentosumae,C.rhododendronsis,C.rosaceae,C.yangzhouense,C.zingiberae.Reported species are C.boninense,C.fructicola,C.grevilleae,C.jiangxiense,C.karstii,C.liriopes,C.plurivorum,C.siamense,C.tabacum,C.truncatum,C.vittalense.In these species,C.siamense is the prevalence species(30 isolates).This is frist systematical investigation of the anthracnose cause agent on medicinal plants in Southwest China,and identified the pathogenic species ofColletotrichum on medicinal plants in Guangxi,Guizhou,Sichuan and Yunnan.