A diverse assemblage of Botryosphaeriaceae infect<i>Eucalyptus</i>in native and non-native environments

Abstract

The fungal family Botryosphaeriaceae includes thousands of described species from around the world that occur on various, primarily woody hosts (von Arx 1987, Index Fungorum Partnership 2004, Crous et al. 2006). Many species of the Botryosphaeriaceae are known as pathogens, most commonly causing die-back and canker diseases on twigs, branches and trunks of trees, and more rarely diseases such as seed-capsule abortion, witches-broom, leaf diseases, seedling diseases and root cankers (Sinclair and Lyon 2005, Slippers and Wingfield 2007). Species of Botryosphaeriaceae are, however, treated as opportunistic pathogens, because the diseases they cause are almost always associated with stress or wounding to their host plants. Despite their pathogenic abilities, Botryosphaeriaceae are also well known as endophytes of