First Report of Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Saraca asoca

摘要

Ashoka is an evergreen tree, universally known by its binomial Latin name Saraca asoca (Roxb.), De. wild or Saraca indica belonging family Caesalpinaceae. (Warrier et al 2000). The plant has a great medicinal value. It is useful in dyspepsia, fever, dipsia, burning sensation, colic, ulcers, menorrhagia, metropathy, leucorrhoea and pimples (Gupta et al 2005). During visit of Ram Nivas garden (public garden) in Jaipur, India plants of S. asoca showing dark brown discoloured leaves. The first symptom observed was circular, necrotic lesions, red to salmon in colour, and ranging from 2-5 mm in diameter. Later, lesions coalsced each other and formed large pustules (Fig. 1). Fungal isolations were made from the lesions. Infected tissues were surface-disinfected in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min, blotted dry on sterile filter paper, and plated on 2% water agar. The plates were incubated at 25 C for 7 d. Hyphal tip from fungal colonies developed from the tissues were transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA). Only one fungal species was consistently isolated from affected leaf tissues and was identified as C. gloeosporioides (Penz.) Sacc. based on morpho-taxonomic characteristics (Sutton 1992).