First report of Sclerotium delphinii on Cynanchum Paniculatum

In August 2013, a severe disease that caused collar rot of Cynanchum paniculatum plants was observed in Shandong province, China. Diseased stems were water-soaked, grey-green or light brown in color, and displayed both silky mycelium and numerous tan or reddish brown sclerotia on the basal part of the stems and the surrounding soil. Based on morphological traits and molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer sequences, the casual agent was identified to be Sclerotium delphinii , and its pathogenicity was confirmed on healthy potted seedlings of C. paniculatum . Thus, the present study represents the first report of S. delphinii -infection of C. paniculatum both in China and internationally.