Chondrostereum purpureum

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Chondrostereum purpureum
Chondrostereum purpureum 051120A.jpg
Fruiting bodies of C. purpureum in a garden near Paris, France
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Division:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
C. purpureum
Binomial name
Chondrostereum purpureum
(Pers.) Pouzar (1959)
Synonyms [1]

Auricularia persistens
Corticium nyssae
Phylacteria micheneri
Stereum ardoisiacum
Stereum argentinum
Stereum atrozonatum
Stereum lilacinum var. vorticosum
Stereum micheneri
Stereum nipponicum
Stereum pergameneum
Stereum purpureum
Stereum rugosiusculum
Stereum vorticosum
Terana nyssae
Thelephora purpurea

Contents

Silver leaf is a fungal disease of trees caused by the fungal plant pathogen Chondrostereum purpureum. It attacks most species of the rose family Rosaceae, particularly the genus Prunus . The disease is progressive and often fatal. The common name is taken from the progressive silvering of leaves on affected branches. It is spread by airborne spores landing on freshly exposed sapwood. For this reason cherries and plums are pruned in summer, when spores are least likely to be present and when disease is visible. Silver Leaf can also happen on poming fruits like apples and pears. Plums are especially vulnerable. [2]

In the past the name Stereum purpureum Pers. was widely used for this fungus, but according to modern taxonomy it is only distantly related to Stereum , actually belonging to order Agaricales whereas Stereum is in order Russulales . [3]

Characteristics

It is a pathogen of various deciduous trees including species of Acer , Aesculus , Alnus , Betula , Crataegus , Fagus , Larix , Malus , Ostrya , Picea , Populus , Prunus , Salix , and Sorbus . [4]

After starting as just a crust on the wood, the fruiting structure develops undulating intergrowing brackets up to about 3 cm broad, which have a tough rubbery texture. The edges and fertile lower surfaces show a fairly vivid violet colour while the fungus is growing, and the upper surfaces have a grey aspect (sometimes with zonation and usually a lighter edge) [5] and are covered with whitish hairs. After a week or two the fructification dries out, becomes brittle, and turns a drab brown or beige. [2] [6] [7] Infected wood can be recognized because it is stained a darker tint. [8]

The spores are rounded cylinders approximately 5–8 µm x 3–4 µm in size. The hyphal structure is monomitic with clamp connections.

It is often found on old stumps and dead wood, but can also be a serious parasite of living trees. As well as plum trees it attacks many other broad-leafed species (other Prunus , apple, pear, willow, poplar, maple, hornbeam, plane, oak, elm, lilac, and many others). [8] Occasionally it also infects conifers (fir, spruce, Thuja , ...). [8] Geographically it is roughly just as widespread as its hosts; it is common in woods, orchards and tree plantations in temperate climates.

Mycoherbicide

Chondrostereum purpureum is commercially available as a method of combatting forest 'weed trees' such as aspens, beech, birches, maples, pin cherry, poplars, and other species. [9] The fungus is applied directly to the weed trees in a nutrient paste which can be stored and handled conveniently.

The first regulatory approval was granted in 2001 to Myco-Forestis Corporation and targeted species "including birch, pin-cherry, poplar/aspen, red maple, sugar maple, and speckled alder in the Boreal and Mixed forest regions of Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains". It had not been reported as of 2001 to cause any diseases in coniferous tree species. [4]

According to a 2007 regulatory decision of the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency, the use of this control method in paste form on Sitka spruce and red alder will only have a limited impact on non-target trees since the fungal spores are ubiquitous anyway and healthy trees are resistant to attack. [10]

As a human pathogen

A single case report confirmed human infection with Chondrostereum purpureum in a non immunocompromised man who had been working with infected plant material. It was resolved by treating him with antifungal medication, but indicates potential for a broader host range for plant fungus than previously believed. [11]

Similar species

Amylostereum areolatum is considered to be similar, and usually has moss covering its cap. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Prunus</i> Genus of trees and shrubs

Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the fruits plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds.

<i>Juglans cinerea</i> Species of tree

Juglans cinerea, commonly known as butternut or white walnut, is a species of walnut native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada.

<i>Stereum</i> Genus of fungi

Stereum is the type genus of the Stereaceae family of fungi, in the Russulales order. Until recently, the genus was classified in the Corticiaceae family, of the Corticiales order. However, it was given its own family as a result of the split-up of the Corticiales. Common names for species of this genus include leaf fungus, wax fungus, and shelf fungus. Fungi having a shape similar to a Stereum are said to have a stereoid shape. Stereum contains 27 species that have a widespread distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plum pox</span> Viral plant disease

Plum pox, also known as sharka, is the most devastating viral disease of stone fruit from the genus Prunus. The disease is caused by the plum pox virus (PPV), and the different strains may infect a variety of stone fruit species including peaches, apricots, plums, nectarine, almonds, and sweet and tart cherries. Wild and ornamental species of Prunus may also become infected by some strains of the virus.

Eutypella canker is a plant disease caused by the fungal pathogen Eutypella parasitica. This disease is capable of infecting many species of maple trees and produces a large, distinguishable canker on the main trunk of the tree. Infection and spread of the disease is accomplished with the release of ascospores from perithecia. Therefore, the best way to manage the Eutypella canker is to remove trees that have been infected. If infected, it can decrease the quality of wood cut for lumber and can thus have a negative economic impact.

<i>Melampsora medusae</i> Species of fungus

Melampsora medusae is a fungal pathogen, causing a disease of woody plants. The infected trees' leaves turn yellowish-orange. The disease affects mostly conifers, e.g. the Douglas-fir, western larch, tamarack, ponderosa, and lodgepole pine trees, but also some broadleaves, e.g. trembling aspen and poplars. Coniferous hosts are affected in late spring through early August, and trembling aspens and poplars from early summer to late fall. It is one of only two foliage rusts that occur naturally in British Columbia.

<i>Stereum hirsutum</i> Species of fungus

Stereum hirsutum, also called false turkey tail and hairy curtain crust, is a fungus typically forming multiple brackets on dead wood. It is also a plant pathogen infecting peach trees. S. hirsutum is in turn parasitised by certain other species such as the fungus Tremella aurantia. Substrates for S. hirsutum include dead limbs and trunks of both hardwoods and conifers.

<i>Stereum sanguinolentum</i> Species of fungus

Stereum sanguinolentum is a species of fungus in the Stereaceae family. A plant pathogen, it causes red heart rot, a red discoloration on conifers, particularly spruces or Douglas-firs. Fruit bodies are produced on dead wood, or sometimes on dead branches of living trees. They are a thin leathery crust of the wood surface. Fresh fruit bodies will bleed a red-colored juice if injured, reflected in the common names bleeding Stereum or the bleeding conifer parchment. It can be the host of the parasitic jelly fungus Tremella encephala.

<i>Phellinus pini</i> Species of fungus

Phellinus pini is a fungal plant pathogen that causes tree disease commonly known as "red ring rot" or "white speck". This disease, extremely common in the conifers of North America, decays tree trunks, rendering them useless for lumber. It is a rot of the heartwood. Signs of the fungus include shelf-shaped conks protruding from the trunks of trees. Spores produced on these conks are blown by the wind and go on to infect other trees. Formal management of this disease is limited, and the disease is controlled primarily by cultural practices. Red ring rot is an important forest disturbance agent and plays a key role in habitat formation for several forest animals.

<i>Dibotryon morbosum</i> Species of fungus

Dibotryon morbosum or Apiosporina morbosa is a plant pathogen, which is the causal agent of black knot. It affects members of the Prunus genus such as; cherry, plum, apricot, and chokecherry trees in North America. The disease produces rough, black growths that encircle and kill the infested parts, and provide habitat for insects.

<i>Rhytisma acerinum</i> Species of fungus

Rhytisma acerinum is a plant pathogen that commonly affects sycamores and maples in late summer and autumn, causing tar spot. Tar spot does not usually have an adverse effect on the trees' long-term health. R. acerinum is an Ascomycete fungus that locally infects the leaves of trees and is a biotrophic parasite. The disease is cosmetic and is therefore usually controlled only with sanitation methods.

<i>Taphrina pruni</i> Species of fungus

Taphrina pruni is a fungal plant pathogen of blackthorn that causes the pocket or bladder plum gall, a chemically induced distortion of the fruit (sloes), producing swollen on one side, otherwise deformed and flattened fruit gall without a stone. The twigs on infected plants may also be deformed with small strap-shaped leaves.

<i>Taphrina padi</i> Species of fungus

Taphrina padi is a fungal plant pathogen that induces the form of pocket plum gall that occurs on bird cherry. The gall is a chemically induced distortion of the fruits, which are swollen, hollow, curved and greatly elongated, without a seed or stone, but retaining the style. The twigs on infected plants may also be deformed with small strap-shaped leaves.

<i>Fomes fomentarius</i> Species of fungus

Fomes fomentarius is a species of fungal plant pathogen found in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. The species produces very large polypore fruit bodies which are shaped like a horse's hoof and vary in colour from a silvery grey to almost black, though they are normally brown. It grows on the side of various species of tree, which it infects through broken bark, causing rot. The species typically continues to live on trees long after they have died, changing from a parasite to a decomposer.

<i>Armillaria</i> root rot Fungal tree disease

Armillaria root rot is a fungal root rot caused by several different members of the genus Armillaria. The symptoms are variable depending on the host infected, ranging from stunted leaves to chlorotic needles and dieback of twigs and branches. However, all infected hosts display symptoms characteristic of being infected by a white rotting fungus. The most effective ways of management focus on limiting the spread of the fungus, planting resistant species, and removing infected material. This disease poses a threat to the lumber industry as well as affecting recreational areas.

<i>Amylostereum</i> Genus of fungi

Amylostereum is the single genus in the fungal family Amylostereaceae. The genus currently comprises four saprotrophic and parasitic species, which live off living or dead wood. The Amylostereaceae cause white rot in the wood by disintegrating the tissue component lignin. They produce crust-like, partially wavy fruit bodies on the surface of infested trees, which are similar to those produced by Stereum species.

Leucostoma canker is a fungal disease that can kill stone fruit. The disease is caused by the plant pathogens Leucostoma persoonii and Leucostoma cinctum (teleomorph) and Cytospora leucostoma and Cytospora cincta (anamorphs). The disease can have a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the part of the tree infected. One of the most lethal symptoms of the disease are the Leucostoma cankers. The severity of the Leucostoma cankers is dependent on the part of the plant infected. The fungus infects through injured, dying or dead tissues of the trees. Disease management can consist of cultural management practices such as pruning, late season fertilizers or chemical management through measures such as insect control. Leucostoma canker of stone fruit can cause significant economic losses due to reduced fruit production or disease management practices. It is one of the most important diseases of stone fruit tree all over the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shot hole disease</span> Fungal disease of plants

Shot hole disease is a serious fungal disease that creates BB-sized holes in leaves, rough areas on fruit, and concentric lesions on branches. The pathogen that causes shot hole disease is Wilsonomyces carpophilus.

<i>Cristulariella depraedans</i> Species of fungus

Cristulariella depraedans, commonly known as gray mold spot, sycamore leaf spot or bull's eye spot, is a fungal pathogen that affects maple trees and certain other woody and herbaceous species. In maples, the foliage becomes affected by small grey lesions which expand and coalesce, the leaves later wilting and falling from the tree early. The disease seems to be associated with cool wet summers, and epidemic years sometimes occur.

References

Chondrostereum purpureum
Information icon.svg
Gills icon.png Gills on hymenium
No cap icon.svgNo distinct cap
NA cap icon.svg Hymenium attachment is not applicable
NA cap icon.svgLacks a stipe
Saprotrophic fungus.svgParasitic fungus.svgEcology is saprotrophic or parasitic
Mycomorphbox Question.pngEdibility is unknown
  1. For instance the entry in "Chondrostereum purpureum (Pers.) Pouzar". Index Fungorum. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. shows the current name and synonyms. In the past the name Stereum purpureum was commonly used, but according to modern taxonomy this fungus is only very distantly related to Stereum , actually belonging to order Polyporales whereas Stereum is in order Russulales .
  2. 1 2 Phillips R (1981). "Silver-leaf Fungus". Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain & Europe. Cavaye Place, London: Pan Books Ltd. CN1794.
  3. See the entry in Index Fungorum Archived 2007-10-13 at the Wayback Machine for the current name and synonyms.
  4. 1 2 Proposed Regulatory Decision Document PRDD2002-01 - Chondrostereum purpureum (HQ1) (PDF). Ottawa: Pest Management Regulatory Agency. 4 January 2002. Compatibility of the Open Government Licence - Canada with Wikimedia projects
  5. 1 2 Trudell S, Ammirati J (2009). Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press Field Guides. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 258. ISBN   978-0-88192-935-5.
  6. Bon M. The Mushrooms and Toadstools of Britain and North-Western Europe. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN   0-340-39935-X.
  7. Courtecuisse R, Duhem B (1994). Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe. Lausanne: Delachaux et Niestlé. ISBN   2-603-00953-2.
  8. 1 2 3 See Entry "Silver Leaf Disease" of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
  9. Canadian patent 2451038 Archived 2012-07-15 at archive.today , US Patent #5,587,158
  10. "PROPOSED REGISTRATION DECISION Chondrostereum purpureum strain PFC2139 Cp-PFC2139 Chontrol Paste" (PDF). Health Canada. Pest Management Regulatory Agency. 23 January 2007.
  11. Dutta S, Ray U (June 2023). "Paratracheal abscess by plant fungus Chondrostereum purpureum- first case report of human infection". Medical Mycology Case Reports. 40: 30–32. doi:10.1016/j.mmcr.2023.03.001. PMC   10025813 . PMID   36950374.

Further reading