''Phytophthora cryptogea'' is a species of

water mould The Oomycetes (), or Oomycota, form a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms within the Stramenopiles. They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction o ...

in the family

Pythiaceae Pythiaceae is a family of oomycetes. The family includes serious plant and animal pathogens in the genus '' Pythium''. The family was circumscribed by German mycologist Joseph Schröter in 1893. Lifecycle *Live on land ( terrestrial), and in wa ...

. It is a

plant pathogen Plant diseases are diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like orga ...

that infects several species of cultivated plants, including over 40 species of cultivated flowers.Olson, H. A., et al. (2011)
Phylogenetic history of ''Phytophthora cryptogea'' and ''P. drechsleri'' isolates from floriculture crops in North Carolina greenhouses.
''Phytopathology'' 101(11) 1373–84. It was first described as the cause of tomato foot rot in tomatoes

Host Range and Symptoms

This species is reported to be pathogenic on grandiflora petunia (''Petunia'' × ''atkinsiana''). It causes root rot, shoot rot and shanking in

tulip Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...

s. It also infects blue daze ('' Evolvulus glomeratus''), dusty miller (''

Jacobaea maritima ''Jacobaea maritima'', commonly known as silver ragwort, is a perennial plant species in the genus '' Jacobaea'' in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region. It was formerly placed in the genus ''Senecio'', and is still widely r ...

''), Barberton daisy (''

Gerbera jamesonii ''Gerbera jamesonii'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Gerbera'' belonging to the basal Mutisieae tribe within the large Asteraceae (or Compositae) family. It is indigenous to South Eastern Africa and commonly known as the Barberton ...

''), and garden

verbena ''Verbena'' (), also known as vervain or verveine, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 150 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas ...

( ''Verbena'' × ''hybrida''). Like its relative '' Phytophtora cambivora'', it can cause ink disease of

chestnuts The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description C ...

(''Castanea sativa''). The species is a cause of foot rot in tomatoes, causing discoloration and lesion in the stem. Progression of lesions leads to girdling, root system rot and plant collapse. Foliage will not be affected until plant stem has become girdled.

Life Cycle

P. cryptogea are prolific in wet, waterlogged soil and can persist for long periods of time in soil on organic matter. It reproduces asexually through sporangiophores and accompanying non-papillate sporangia in liquid media as well as by uneven, irregular hyphal growth. It does not produce chlamydospores. Sexual reproduction is heterothallic, typically requiring an opposite mating type but sometimes occurring in aged single cultures. Sexual structures produced are antheridia and oogonia that fill with oospores.

Species Differentiation

This and ''

Phytophthora drechsleri ''Phytophthora drechsleri'' is a plant pathogen with many hosts. Affected plants See: * List of potato diseases * List of maize diseases * List of almond diseases * List of apricot diseases * List of beet diseases * List of caneberries diseas ...

'' have been considered the same species, but

phylogenetic analysis In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical data ...

has revealed that they are two distinct species.Mostowfizadeh-Ghalamfarsa, R., et al. (2010)
Phylogenetic relationship of ''Phytophthora cryptogea'' Pethybr. & Laff and ''P. drechsleri'' Tucker.
''Fungal Biology'' 114(4) 325-39.

References

External links

''Phytophthora cryptogea''.
Index Fungorum. cryptogea Water mould plant pathogens and diseases Tomato diseases {{plant-disease-stub