A new species, Embellisia astragali sp. nov., causing standing milk-vetch disease in China

A new species, Embellisia astragali sp. nov., is described from necrotic leaves, petioles and stems of Astragalus adsurgens in China. The morphology of E. astragali is compared and contrasted to that of four similar species, E. abundans, E. oxytropis, E. phragmospora and E. telluster. The fungus grew intercellularly in stems and leaf blades and intracellularly in leaves. It was isolated from most sources of seeds at frequencies of 0.1-44.6%. Growth rates of colonies on potato-carrot agar, potato-dextrose agar, wheat hay decoction (WHDA) and V8 at 25 C were 0.48, 0.32, 0.68 and 0.27 mm d(-1), respectively. The optimal temperature for colony growth on WHDA was 20-25 C, and no growth was measured above 30 C. Five week old standing milk-vetch seedlings were inoculated with E. astragali by dipping whole roots and pruned roots in a conidial suspension and pouring the suspension onto the soil surface in which two seedlings had been planted. After 20 wk 66.5%, 62.1% and 85.0% plants were diseased and 24.1%, 20.7% and 17.5% plants were dead, respectively. Symptoms included the development of more side shoots with small, curved, necrotic and yellowed young leaves, plant stunting, reddish brown lesions, stem browning, dieback, shoot blight, crown rot, root black rot and plant death. This is first report of a pathogenic Embellisia on legumes.