Cercospora

Fungalpedia – Note 590, Cercospora

 

Cercospora Fresen.

Citation when using this data: Zhang et al. 2025 (in prep.) – Fungalpedia. Ascomycota.

Classification: Mycosphaerellaceae, Mycosphaerellales, Dothideomycetidae, Dothideomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi , MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1

García et al. (1996) introduced the genus Cercospora for passalora-like fungi with pluriseptate conidia. Cercospora, one of the largest and extensively studied genera (Chupp 1954; Pollack 1987; Groenewald et al. 2013), encompasses over 3,000 epithets in Index Fungorum (August 2024). The generic concept had been amended based on conidiogenous loci and hila, as well as the pigmentation in the conidiophores and conidia (Chupp 1954; Pollack 1987; Braun 1991; Crous and Braun 2003; Phengsintham et al. 2013). The first monograph of Cercospora was provided by Chupp (1954), followed by subsequent comprehensive studies on this genus (Braun 2002, 2013; Braun et al. 2015a, b, 2016). Cercospora is characterized by hyaline to pigmented hyphae; intra-epidermal or immersed stromata ranging from absent to well-developed; mononematous, macronematous, solitary or fasciculate conidiophores in small to large fascicles; integrated, terminal or intercalary, monoblastic to mostly polyblastic, proliferation sympodial conidiophores with conspicuous, planate with minute central pore, thickened and darkened-refractive conidiogenous loci (scars); mostly solitary, mostly scolecosporous, sometimes obclavate, or cylindrical, or acicular, or filiform, multi-euseptate, hyaline conidia with thickened and darkened hila (Ellis 1971; Crous and Braun 2003; Braun et al. 2013; Groenewald et al. 2013; Phengsintham et al. 2013; Chen et al. 2022; Pem et al. 2024). Cercospora species are similar and challenging to distinguish based on morphology alone (Chen et al. 2022). The DNA barcodes for the genus Cercospora include the LSU, ITS, and rpb2 genes. Additionally, actA, cmdA, gapdh, his3, tef1-α, and tub2 genes are used for distinguishing between Cercospora species (Chen et al. 2022).

Cercospora is a particularly significant genus of plant pathogenic fungi, causing extensive damage in agriculture with leaf spots, necrotic lesions of flowers, fruits and seeds or fruit rot disease observed worldwide, particularly in humid, tropical and subtropical climates (Agrios 2005; Silva and Pereira 2008; Skaracis et al. 2010; To-Anun et al. 2011; Groenewald et al. 2013; Rehman et al. 2021; Chen et al. 2022). It is universally pathogenic to a broad range of plants, affecting nearly all dicotyledonous plants, most monocotyledonous plants, some gymnosperms and ferns across the globe (Pollack 1987; Crous et al. 2006a; Braun et al. 2015b; Abeywickrama et al. 2023). Additionally, this genus exhibits host-specificity, with each plant genus or family often having its own endemic species (Chupp 1954; Pollack 1987; Crous et al. 2006a; Phengsintham et al. 2013). Our survey revealed 54 Cercospora species (including 26 unidentified species) associated with various pteridophytes in 17 families, demonstrating the widespread occurrence of Cercospora species on ferns and their allies. Furthermore, cercosporoid fungi on pteridophytes were summarized by Braun et al. (2013), with a tabular key to Cercospora species on ferns.

Type species: Cercospora apii Fresen.

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Cercospora.

 

Figure 1 – Cercospora species (a The type species C. apii; b–d Three examples of Cercospora species occurring on pteridophytes). a Fasciculate conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia of C. apii. b Cercospora adiantigena found on Adiantum philippense. c Cercospora abacopteridis on Abacopteris urophylla. d Cercospora adianticola on Adiantum venustum. Redrawn from Braun et al. (2013) and Bakhshi et al. (2018).

 

References

Abeywickrama PD, Qian N, Jayawardena RS, Li Y, Zhang W, Guo K, Zhang L, Zhang G, Yan J, Li X, Guo Z, Hyde KD, Peng Y, Zhao W 2023 – Endophytic fungi in green manure crops; friends or foe? Mycosphere 14:1–106.

Agrios G 2005 – Plant pathology 5th Edition. ElsevierAcad Press, USA.

Bakhshi M, Arzanlou M, Babai-Ahari A, Groenewald JZ, Crous PW 2018 – Novel primers improve species delimitation in Cercospora. IMA fungus 9:299–332.

Braun U 1991 – Cercospora and allied genera of Cuba (II). Cryptogam Bot 2:289–297.

Braun U 2002 – Miscellaneous notes on some cercosporoid hyphomycetes. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 86:79–98.

Braun U, Crous PW, Nakashima C 2015a – Cercosporoid fungi (Mycosphaerellaceae) 3. Species on monocots (Poaceae, true grasses). IMA fungus 6:25–98.

Braun U, Crous PW, Nakashima C 2015b – cercosporoid fungi (Mycosphaerellaceae) 4. Species on dicots (Acanthaceae to Amaranthaceae). IMA fungus 6:373–469.

Braun U, Crous PW, Nakashima C 2016 – Cercosporoid fungi (Mycosphaerellaceae) 5. Species on dicots (Anacardiaceae to Annonaceae). IMA fungus 7:161–216.

Braun U, Urtiaga R 2013 – New species and new records of cercosporoid hyphomycetes from Cuba and Venezuela (Part 2). Mycosphere 4:174–214.

Chen Q, Bakhshi M, Balci Y, Broders K, Cheewangkoon R, Chen SF, Fan XL, Gramaje D, Halleen F, Jung MH 2022 – Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 4. Studies in Mycology 101:417–564.

Chupp C 1954 – A Monograph of the fungus genus Cercospora. Published by the Author. Plant Pathology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Crous PW, Groenewald JZ, Groenewald M, Caldwell P, Braun U, Harrington TC 2006a – Species of Cercospora associated with grey leaf spot of maize. Studies in Mycology 55:189–197.

Ellis MB 1971 – Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. Commonwealth Mycological Institute. Kew, England, 1–608.

García C, Pons N, Benítez de Rojas C 1996 – Cercospora and similar fungi on Ipomoea species. Fitopatologia Venezolana 9:22–36.

Groenewald J, Nakashima C, Nishikawa J, Shin H-D, Park J-H, Jama A, Groenewald M, Braun U, Crous P 2013 – Species concepts in Cercospora: spotting the weeds among the roses. Studies in Mycology 75:115–170.

Pem D, Hyde KD, McKenzie EHC, Hongsanan S, Wanasinghe DN, Boonmee S, Darmostuk V, Bhat JD, Tian Q, Htet ZH, Senanayake IC, Niranjan M, Sarma VV, Doilom M, Dong W 2024 – A comprehensive overview of genera in Dothideomycetes. Mycosphere 15:2175–4568.

Phengsintham P, Braun U, McKenzie E, Chukeatirote E, Cai L, Hyde KD 2013 – Monograph of cercosporoid fungi from Thailand. Plant Pathology & Quarantine 3:67–138.

Pollack FG 1987 – An annotated compilation of Cercospora names. J. Cramer, Berlin, Germany.

Rehman FU, Adnan M, Kalsoom M, Naz N, Husnain MG, Ilahi H, Ilyas MA, Yousaf G, Tahir R, Ahmad U 2021 – Seed-borne fungal diseases of maize (Zea mays L.): A review. Agrinula: Jurnal Agroteknologi dan Perkebunan 4:43–60.

Silva M, Pereira O 2008 – Postharvest Cercospora apii fruit rot disease on Cucurbita maxima (Cucurbitaceae). Australasian Plant Disease Notes 3:21–23.

Skaracis GN, Pavli OI, Biancardi E 2010 – Cercospora leaf spot disease of sugar beet. Sugar Tech 12:220–228.

To-Anun C, Hidayat I, Meeboon J 2011 – Genus Cercospora in Thailand: taxonomy and phylogeny (with a dichotomous key to species). Plant Pathology & Quarantine 1:11–87.

 

Entry by

Jing-Yi Zhang, School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang, 550025, People’s Republic of China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550009, People’s Republic of China.

 

Published online 11 June 2025

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