Cophinforma tumefaciens

It was published in 1911, as Sphaeropsis tumefaciens with the holotype found on Citrus limon in Jamaica. But it was transferred to Cophinforma tumefaciens in 2021. Due to the generic circumscriptions of the macroconidia and spermatia/microconidia of this species matching that of Botryosphaeria, Cophinforma, or Neofusicoccum genera, rather than genus Sphaeropsis.

It can form galls (rounded swellings beneath undisturbed bark) on Edison's St. John's-Wort (Hypericum edisonianum {{Au|(Small) Adams & Robson}}) in Florida.{{cite journal |last1=van de Kerckhove |first1=G.A. |last2=Smither-Kopperl |first2=M.L. |last3=Kistler |first3=H.C. |title=First Report of Sphaeropsis tumefaciens on an Endangered St. John's-Wort in Florida |journal=Plant Disease |date=October 2002 |volume=86 |issue=10 |page=1177 |doi=10.1094/PDIS.2002.86.10.1177B |pmid=30818521}} 'Sphaeropsis gall' also affects holly bushes as well.{{cite web |last1=Figart |first1=Larry |title=Garden Help: Clean pruning tools often to reduce spread of disease |url=https://eu.jacksonville.com/story/lifestyle/home-garden/how-to/2022/03/12/garden-help-clean-pruning-tools-often-reduce-spread-disease/9438352002/ |website=The Florida Times-Union |access-date=3 September 2023}} Many other plant genera in Florida and other places are also known to be affected by this disease, including citrus,{{cite journal |last1=Burnet |first1=H.C. |title=Sphaeropsis knot of Citrus in Florida. |journal=Plant Pathology Circular |date=1971 |volume=106}} lime (Citrus aurantifolia), oleander, holly (Ilex spp.),{{cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=H.N. |last2=McRitchie |first2=J.J. |last3=Seymour |first3=C.P. |title=Sphaeropsis witches' broom of Holly. |journal=Plant Pathology Circular |date=1977 |volume=176}} bottlebrush (Callistemon spp),{{cite journal |last1=Ridings |first1=W.H. |last2=Marlatt |first2=R.B. |title=Sphaeropsis gall of bottlebrush. |journal=Plant Pathology Circular |date=1975 |volume=150.}} Carissa, crape myrtle, Ligustrum and the Brazilian Peppertree (Schinus terebinthifolius).{{cite web |title=Palmer's Garden: Holly & Witches Broom Gall |url=https://palmersgarden.blogspot.com/2009/05/holly-witches-broom-gall.html |website=Palmer's Garden |access-date=3 September 2023 |date=19 May 2009}} as well as rose bay (Nerium oleander) and avocado (Persea americana {{Au|Mill}}).{{cite journal |last1=Fucikovsky |first1=L. |title=Tumor caused by Sphaeropsis tumefaciens on avocado. |journal=Revista Mexicana de Micología |date=1994 |volume=10 |pages=181–185.}} Other host plantsinclude; Bauhinia spp., Cinnamomum camphora, Citrofortunella mitis, Eucalyptus sp., (including Eucalyptus cinerea and Eucalyptus urophylla), Eugenia sp., Jatropha sp., Lagerstroemia indica, Mangifera indica, Morus alba, Myrica cerifera, Pittosporum tobira, Poncirus trifoliate, Portlandia grandiflora, Pyracantha coccinea, Vigna angularis and Wisteria sinensis.{{cite web |last1=Farr |first1=D.F. |last2=Rossman |first2=A.Y. |title=Fungal databases |url=https://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ |publisher=U.S. National Fungus Collections, ARS, USDA. |access-date=21 June 2021 |date=2021}}

The mycelium have conidiomata which are pycnidial, superficial or semi-immersed and measureing 135–400 μm in diam. They are solitary or confluent, dark brown to black (in colour), complex, effuse, (sub-)globose, densely covered with dark brown hyphae. The condia wall is composed of three layers, an outer layer of wall (textura angularis), thick-walled and dark to light brown in shade, the middle layer of cells are thin-walled and light brown. The inner layer of cells are also thin-walled and hyaline (glass-like).

The conidiophores are also hyaline, branched, or reduced to conidiogenous cells. The conidiogenous cells are hyaline, holoblastic (divided into planes), smooth, discrete and cylindrical in form. They measure about 11-20(-24) × 2.5 -4 μm. The conidia are hyaline, thin-walled, aseptate, granular, ellipsoid to obovoid (in form), 18-31.5 × 7.5-10 μm. The spermatophores are hyaline, smooth, branched, or reduced to solitary spermatogenous cells. They occur randomly among the conidiophores in the same conidioma. The spermatogenous cells are ampulliform (flask-shaped) or sub-cylindrical in form. They measure about 8–21 × 2.5–4.5 μm. The spermatia are hyaline, smooth, cylindrical (in form), straight or slightly curved. The apex is obtuse and the base is truncate, measuring 3.5–7.5 × 1.5–2.5 μm.

Disease symptoms range from inconspicuous swellings on young twigs to irregular sized galls on older wood. They are usually rounded ({{cvt|1|–|7|cm|1}} in diam.) but sometimes elongated. These swellings start covered with normal bark which then mutates into a whitish, rough, cork-like tissue, this begins to grow in size, becoming fissured, with much enlarged woody tissue. The knots are firmly attached to the stem or branch, and may occur in large numbers over considerable lengths of stem which may be girdled. The surface of the knot later may become soft and crumbling, but the centre is hard, where the presence of black streaking indicates the presence of mycelium.{{cite book |last1=Holliday |first1=P. |last2=Punithalingam |first2=E. |title=Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria |date=1970}} Multiple shoots can appear from the galled areas, causing a witches broom type of growth. Galls can form up to 40 shoots, some over 1 m long. Horizontal branches can also tip up to grow nearly vertically and dieback of infected branches eventually occurs. The knots can occur in large numbers and a severe infection can lead to death of the tree or shrub. The disease is related to water stress, causing more dieback and can cause the plant to eventually die. This often occurs when warm, wet weather follows periods of drought.{{cite web |title=ENY-2055/IN1310: Galling Damage to Woody Ornamentals: Diagnosis and Potential Causes |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1310 |website=edis.ifas.ufl.edu |access-date=3 September 2023 |language=en}}

The disease has been reported as being found in the USA (within Florida), Cameroon, Ceylon, Cuba,{{cite journal |last1=De Valle |first1=N. |last2=Grillo |first2=H. |last3=Gonzales |first3=A. |last4=Mas |first4=O. |last5=Rios |first5=A. |title=Citrus knots in Cuba. |journal=Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture |date=1981 |volume=1 |pages=362–366.}} Egypt, Guyana, Indonesia, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico,{{cite journal |last1=Rodríguez |first1=Rocío |last2=Meléndez |first2=P. L. |title=Occurrence of Sphaeropsis knot on citron (Citrus medica L.) in Puerto Rico |journal=The Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico |date=April 1984 |volume=68 |issue=2 |doi=10.46429/jaupr.v68i2.7276}}{{cite journal |last1=Rodriguez |first1=SD |last2=Rodriguez |first2=R. |last3=Melendez |first3=P.L. |title=Suitability of Citrus species as hosts of Sphaeropsis tumefaciens Hedges. |journal=Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico |date=1985 |volume=69 |pages=57–61.}} and Venezuela.{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Richard |last2=Caffier |first2=David |last3=Choiseul |first3=James William |last4=De Clercq |first4=Patrick |last5=Dormannsné-Simon |first5=Erzsébet |last6=Gerowitt |first6=Bärbel |last7=Karadjova |first7=Olia Evtimova |last8=Lövei |first8=Gábor |last9=Lansink |first9=Alfons Oude |last10=Makowski |first10=David |last11=Manceau |first11=Charles |last12=Manici |first12=Luisa |last13=Perdikis |first13=Dionyssios |last14=Puglia |first14=Angelo Porta |last15=Schans |first15=Jan |last16=Schrader |first16=Gritta |last17=Steffek |first17=Robert |last18=Strömberg |first18=Anita |last19=Tiilikkala |first19=Kari |last20=van Lenteren |first20=Johan Coert |last21=Vloutoglou |first21=Irene |title=Pest risk assessment made by France on Phyllosticta musarum [Cooke] van der Aa considered by France as harmful in French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion ‐ Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) |journal=EFSA Journal |date=2008 |volume=683 |pages=1–16 |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2008.683|doi-access=free }}

Also by 2021, it was also found in Japan, Pakistan, West Indies and in Europe (within Austria and Greece).

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070820101227/http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/ USDA ARS Fungal Database]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q122197215}}

Category:Fungi described in 1911

Category:Fungal citrus diseases

Category:Botryosphaeriaceae

Category:Fungus species