Phaeomoniella chlamydospora gen. et comb. nov., a causal organism of Petri grapevine decline and esca

Abstract

Phaeomoniella is proposed as a new hyphomycete genus to accommodate Phaeoacremonium chlamydosporum, the most important fungal organism associated to Petri grapevine decline. Morphologically the genus is similar to Phaeoacremonium, but is distinguished from the latter based on its cultural characteristics, conidiophore morphology, and its uniformly straight, and slightly pigmented conidia. Petri grapevine decline is seen as an important component of the esca disease complex of grapevines.