<i>Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</i> sensu stricto, the causal agent of a leaf spot disease of <i>Schefflera arboricola</i> in Iran

Abstract

<em>Schefflera arboricola</em> is a flowering plant in the family <em>Araliaceae</em>; its common name is dwarf umbrella tree. It is an evergreen shrub and a popular ornamental plant, commonly grown as an indoor plant. During a sampling in 2015, a new leaf spot symptoms was observed on <em>S. arboricola </em>plants in several greenhouses in the Hamadan province, Iran. Most of the plants were severely damaged by this disease. The presumed causal agent was isolated from symptomatic leaves. Based on morphological and cultural characteristics, the fungus was identified as a <em>Colletotrichum</em> species, probably belonging to the <em>C. gloeosporioides </em>species complex. By means of molecular data (<em>TUB2</em> & <em>GAPDH</em>) the fungus was revealed to be <em>C. gloeosporioides</em>sensu stricto. Pathogenicity tests showed that the fungus is the causal agent of leaf spot on <em>S. arboricola</em> shrubs. To our knowledge, this is the first report of <em>C. gloeosporioides </em>sensu stricto on <em>S. arboricola</em> in Iran.<br /> <em> </em>